Second Round
by CrypticNiteMare
Summary: Yuki has been summoned for a second round to determine the god of Time and Space. But he didn't call it, Deus did. Isn't Deus suppose to be dead? And Yuno? Who are the people he's going against and why is there a small boy in the game?
1. Chapter 1

Yukiteru Amano awoke in a dark area. The room around him was huge, yet he stood on his own platform. Around him was 4 others platforms, with a shadow figure of a person standing on top. He hadn't been on one of these since he was 14, but he knew why you would be summoned here. He looked to the head of the area, a giant-machine type humanoid sat there. Yuki knew full well who this was, but he couldn't believe he was here. Deus Ex Machina sat, watching the shadow figures that stood to his side. Yuki stood on the opposite side of Deus, with 2 figures on each of his side.

"Hello all, I am Deus Ex Machina. But Deus is all that is necessary. I am the god of Space and Time. I have summoned you all here because you are in the running of becoming the new god, as I am dying." Deus spoke. A majestic being he was, he looked like something in a Transformers movie. He sat there, looking around at the 5 beings he chose.

Then he looked straight at Yuki.

"Yes, I haven't forgotten you." Deus said, staring down Yuki with a rather cold expression. Yuki was always his favorite, in fact Yuki was the god of Time and Space. What happened? Deus was suppose to be dead.

"I will explain the rules to you all", Deus continued, "You will each be given a diary, a help from me to you."

He looked around the room, eyeing the participants.

"4 of you will die, the last one remaining will become god." Deus finally said. Yuki's eyes widened, he played this game 10,000 years ago, he thought he was done with it!

Suddenly, one of the figures spoke up, a boy voice, "Hey, man. I didn't sign up for this crap!" Yuki felt a twinge of pity, poor guy. He has no idea what is about to happen.

Deus raised a mechanical eyebrow, "I will take you out of the game, fifth, but this means you dying anyway. Permanently erased."

The boy stayed quiet, "Fine, I'll participate." Yet, he sounded as if that was the last thing he wanted to do.

Deus gave a sharp nod. "Any questions?"

Yuki had plenty, but from experience, he knew not to expose himself in any way. He would just call a private meeting with Deus later.

"Yeah, I have one", a diva-sounding woman asked, "does this game have any restrictions?"

"No ,third. But you make the bed that you lie in. Be careful of your actions, being a god does not mean being a solution."

The silence crept in the room, Deus waited for another question. Only silence greeted him.

"Very well, I will return you all to your homes-"

"Wait", another voice sounded. A man. "You called the boy and woman numbers. What are those for?"

Deus looked at the figure that spoke. Yuki felt bad for these guys, they had no idea of the information they were giving out. He already knew how to play.

"The numbers are to protect your identity, fourth . You wouldn't want, say, first looking you up if I called you by name."

The man hushed, as if getting the idea to not make yourself known, and looked over to the first area. Yuki's area. Everybody looked over at the first. _Thanks, Deus. _Yuki thought.

"Now, if that is all, I will be returning you to your lives now. We will meet again in 3 days. Farewell."

Deus waved his hand and Yuki was suddenly in a bed. He was in a room, a bright room at that. He looked up at the ceiling, he had never seen this place before. He sat up from the bed and stood, his clothes had changed into night clothes.

"This is really confusing me", Yuki said as he looked into a mirror. He looked the same, he _was_ Yuki. He heard a few bangs from outside the door and he went to the door. He placed an ear on the door and listened. It had become quiet. He placed his hand on the doorknob and opened it.

He was then on the ground.

"Good morning, daddy!", yelled a little girl. She had his blue eyes, but her hair was not black...it looked strange. Like auburn.

She was about 6 years old, give or take. Next to her was a smaller boy, maybe 5.

He smiled as his pink eyes and brown hair shined in the light. It was the same brown hair as Yuki's mom when she was alive.

"Akira, Haruo? Did you wake up your dad yet?", a female voice called from downstairs. Yuki's eyes widened. He hadn't heard that voice in a _very_ long time. That voice belonged to his first and only love.

"We got him, mommy!" The little girl yelled back. The children got off of Yukio and he stood up. My God, where was he?!

Yuki stood, "Daddy, mommy has breakfast ready. Come on!" The little girl pushed from behind, the small boy saw this and joined her.

Yuki relented and he walked outside the room and down the stairs. The children ran into the kitchen. Yuki stood there, frozen. He saw the woman, she had her back to him, as she was tending to the stove. She had waist long pink hair, beautiful hair. Yuki knew this woman. He had been missing her for the past 10,000 years.

He entered the kitchen, staring at the woman that he loved so much. He would have never thought he'd be able to see her again. She was suppose to be dead...

The woman turned around, with a pan in her hands, a pregnant belly, and a smile. The most perfect smile Yuki had ever seen.

He couldn't help himself, he smiled back. He walked over to her and embraced her, kissing her on the lips.

"Ewwwwwwww", the 2 children said in unison. Yuki didn't care, he needed to do it. A slight blush appeared on her face.

"Good morning to you too, Yukki." the woman said. God, she was beautiful. She had pink eyes to match her hair. She was slender, but curvy in the best areas. Yuki placed a hand on her belly.

"Good morning, Yuno." He replied, a smile taking over his face.

Yuno hugged him and whispered in his ear, "You're all smiles today, I'm guessing you enjoyed last night?" she leaned away and gave him a small kiss on his cheek. "Who is hungry?" she asked the kids.

"Me, me!" they yelled. As Yuno served them, a slight frown appeared on her face.

"Where is Hideo?" Yuno asked. Yuki looked around, how many kids were here?

"He's still in his room, mommy", the girl replied as she chewed her eggs. Yuno walked out and yelled the name upstairs, Yuki heard a voice reply and a door open. Yuki could hear footsteps on the stairs and a young boy walk into the room. He looked mean, someone you wouldn't want to befriend. He had Yuno's pink eyes and Yuki's black hair. Yuki and Yuno were about 25, how on earth did they have a son about 10 years old?

Yuki suddenly remembered... July 27th. One of the last days before the end of the world, he didn't have a condom. They were teenage parents and it looked like they still kept going.

Yuki watched as the boy plopped down on a seat and picked up a fork, playing with his food.

_Information time, _Yuki thought.

"So, uh, it's early in the morning...daddy", he stressed the word,"forgot. How old are you all again?"

The family laughed, except for Hideo, who just rolled his eyes.

"Hahaha, you're silly daddy. Harou is 4, I'm 6, and Hideo is 9. Hideo's birthday is tomorrow, remember?" the little girl said. What did Yuno say her name was?

"Thank you for reminding me, Akira." Yuki said with a small smile as he placed a piece of egg into his mouth. He chewed and then the kitchen remained silent.

"So, uh, Hideo, what do you want for your birthday?", Yuki asked, trying to ease the awkwardness.

The boy looked up from his untouched plate, "Nothing." He got up and left the table.

Yuno sighed, "Why is he acting so weird today?"

Yuki watched as the boy treaded up the stairs, he felt bad that as his father, he didn't even know what was wrong.

Yuki stood up and pulled out his cell phone. What was going on? He loved this, he always wished for a better future with Yuno just NOTHING made sense.

He found ninth's contact number, so she was alive as well. Well that was good, she was always like a sister to him. Maybe she could provide him with some answers, she wasn't one to be phased easily. Yuki stood up, "Excuse me."

Yuno watched as Yuki stood up, but didn't follow. She would ask him later, for now she just enjoyed the company of her two youngest.

Yuki walked into the living room and dialed the number for ninth. It rang a few times before it picked up.

"Hey, Yukiteru! What's up?" Her voice was different now. Livelier.

Yuki sucked in a quick breath, "Can we meet up, ninth?"

There was a silence on the other end, "I haven't been called that in a long time. What do you need?"

"I have... a lot of questions. Meet me at Cafe Yang in an hour?"

Ninth answered, "Sure, you bringing the family?"

Yuki shook his head, but remembered that she couldn't see him, "I'm not planning on it. I just want it to be me and you."

Once again, there was a silence, "An hour then. Bye" was the last thing Yuki heard before the line disconnected. He sighed.

Where was he? And what was going on?

**Hello everybody! I wondered why there were no Future Diary fanfics so I decided to make my own (It is one of my favorite animes ever). I hope you all enjoy it, I have plans for this story. (:**


	2. Chapter 2

Yuki sat in a booth facing the door, he wanted to make sure he saw Ninth the minute she came in. The Cafe was hardly crowded and only a few people would pass by, take a glance, and realize they had other plans before finally walking away. The Cafe had slight mummers and the occasional giggle. Yuki sat there, his head resting on his fist while his other hand swirled his straw in his tea. He finally saw a flash of dark purple hair that caught his attention.

He sat up as a woman entered the Cafe, she was dressed in a light purple shirt and regular denim shorts, she looked like an average human. Something different was that she had a fake right arm, you could tell from it looking robotic and pale. Also, she had a black eye patch covering her left eye. Yuki remembered when he caused that...he poked it out with a dart.

He stood up with a smile and waved her over, she walked to him quickly and sat in front of him.

"Yukiteru", she said as she eyed Yuki. He sat down, she seemed so mature now.

"Ninth", he replied back, still with a small smile on his face.

"It's Minene now. You know that", she shot back. Something about her seemed off, Yuki decided to shrug it off.

"Minene, then. As you've seen...I'm not very..." he paused. What was he going to say? That he was sent to this world after 10,000 years of darkness?

She eyed him, watching intently. She was an intelligent woman, always the gears in her head would turn to find a solution. She knew something was wrong here.

"You're not Yukiteru", she understood. She watched as his expression dropped and he gazed out the window.

"I guess not. Well I am, just not this world's Yukiteru", he replied as he watched the cars pass by. The streets themselves were empty now.

"Tell me why I'm here", she said as she laid back in her seat. Her purple eye watching, analyzing.

"I-"

"May I help you, miss?" A waitress asked as she walked up with menus and a smile on her young face.

Minene looked at her and her face softened, "Just water please", she looked at Yuki, "anything for you?"

Yuki reacted quickly, "I'll take a piece of pie, apple please."

The waitress nodded as she wrote it down and went on her merry way. Yuki focused his attention back on Ninth, who was still staring at him.

"I'm waiting, Yukiteru", she scolded as she placed her arms across her chest.

"I was summoned", he looked around and lowered his voice, "by Deus."

Her eyes widened. "Deus is dead, we all know that. You became god, and left the third world alone."

He shook his head, "There is a second round going on as we speak. 5 of us, including me. There was a woman...a man...a small boy.."

He didn't know the last one as they didn't make themselves known during the meeting.

The waitress appeared with the order, she placed it on the table and showed her innocent smile. Yuki thanked her for her kindness and put a fork into the pie.

"So, another round. Still, so many questions. Where is third world Yukiteru?", she stared at him. She knew why she was here.

"You have questions."

Yuki nodded his head, "I was literally thrown into this world! I woke up in a bed, these kids tackled me, Yuno is married to me with _another_ kid." He rubbed his temples as he spoke.

Minene had a smirk on her face, "Yeah, you just keep popping them out. So, here is the summary", she sucked in a deep breath.

"You have 3 children, a fourth coming soon, Hideo is the oldest, 9. Don't ask me why you and Yuno had a kid at 15 that's your doing. Akira, your little princess", she smirked, "she's 6. You guys at her at 18, didn't learn the first time. Haruo is the baby, for now. He's 4, doesn't speak much and loves nuggets. I'm the Godmother for each of your kids. You make a living by following in your mom's footsteps. You created one of the greatest games of all time, _Futuro._ Don't ask me why you named it that, you thought it was cool. Basically it's like the Future Diary game, just less...violent. I am married with 3 kids. 2 girls and a boy. Everybody from the previous game is here, but we don't associate."

She took in a breath and looked at Yuki who nodded slowly, taking this all in.

"So, I'm successful and married to the woman of my dreams."

Minene rolled her eyes, "Is that all you got from that? In a nutshell, yes."

Yuki nodded, he had a vague feeling of his life now. He just had to worry about blending in and asking Deus about the game. Still so many questions.

"How did you know I was a fake?", Yuki asked.

She took a deep breath and blinked, "When you called, you called me Ninth. You haven't done that since the game. That was the indicator."

Yuki nodded and took a bite from the pie. She stared at him and he her. They didn't know what to say.

"So, you're married", Yuki offered. He never knew the lone Ninth would ever settle down or have kids.

She smiled, "I married, Nishijima. We had our daughters within the first 2 years of marriage" she told, "Our son is as old as Akira. We make fun of them all the time about them getting married when they grow up."

She laughed to herself as Yuki offered a smile. He really didn't fit in here. He sat down further in his chair as Minene went on about their lives. None of it seemed to matter, really. He loved this life, he really did. But he didn't belong here.

Then he heard a voice. It was the woman's voice from the ring. The Diva. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the Cafe, they were the only ones here now. Minene noticed that he was looking for something.

"What are you looking for?", she asked, becoming serious.

"That voice", he whispered, "That's a diary owner."

Minene and Yuki scanned around until she pointed to the TV.

"Her?", she asked. Yuki turned to see a beautiful woman on the screen. She had long flowing red hair and green eyes. She was skinny but yet full. She was what models wished they could be. He stared intently at the screen.

"That's her. What's her name?"

Minene sighed but relented, " Aya Sato, model and singer."

Yuki nodded, her life sucked now that she was a Diary Holder. Everybody that heard her voice would know it was her. Anybody with half a brain would realize that it was her. He studied her face, she would be dead soon.

Yuki looked over to Minene, who was also watching him.

He took another bite of his pie and chewed slowly, would he be the one to kill her?

"You're planning on killing again...", Minene whispered.

Yuki looked over, "I have to survive."

Minene looked over at the screen, not showing any emotion, "I suppose. But since she's famous, she has a lot of protection. Won't be easy passing guards, Yukiteru."

Yuki slapped himself mentally, of course there would be guards. Lots of them. He remembered the first round, how Yuno could take down squads of people on her own...

No, she was pregnant, he had no right to ask that of her again. He took another bite and thought carefully. He was on his own. He glanced at Minene, who was still staring at the screen.

He began to fidget with the fork, what was he going to do?

"I'll help you", was all he heard and his attention was back to Minene. He watched her, she meant it. A hard look was on her face, she was being serious. Every word.

Yuki stared at her, "I don't want to kill, I'll help you plan and carry out. You have the blood on your hands this time, Yukiteru."

Minene closed her eyes, concentrating hard, "I've killed a lot of people, I'm done with that. I've changed."

Yuki sighed, he got help, but now what was he to do when it came to the killing?

"Thank you, Nin-Minene.", Yuki said as managed to correct himself in time.

She raised a curious eyebrow at Yuki, "You know you have to tell Yuno, right?"

Yuki's blood froze. He forgot, _they_ had a family together. She was pregnant and this game jeopardized the well being of their family. God, what was he suppose to do?

Yuki stared at nothing and Minene stood, bringing him back to reality.

"I'm going home, call me if you need anything", Minene said. Yuki watched as she placed a bill on the table and left. She paid, he got up giving the tip and left himself.

He left the Cafe, and hugged himself slightly. A slight chill ran through the city, he walked and eventually he heard a all too familiar click. He brought out his phone. It read that in 2 minutes, a fight would break out. A fatal one.

He went into the alley and waited, maybe it was a diary holder. They would be aware of his presence too, wouldn't they?

The seconds ticked by and a small drop of sweat raced down his face, then, he heard loud screams. And a gunshot. He checked his diary, it should be over by now. He left the hiding spot and walked over to an empty parking lot.

Nothing was there except for a small debris, no blood, nothing. Yuki walked over and noticed that someone had died. A cell phone was broken, so a life ended. He looked around, nobody else was there. Somebody had died. He had an uneasy feeling, so he slowly backed away and and turned quickly. The first day hadn't even ended and somebody died. He had no idea who, but somebody was out. Only four remained.

He walked to his car and put it in the keys shakily. God, why was he so scared? He drove not even bothering to put the radio on. Somebody really wanted to become God...they would find him too.

Eventually, he arrived home. He opened his house door and Yuno greeted him.

"Yukkii! Come on we have planning to do for", she looked around, "Hideo's party", she whispered.

Yuki nodded slowly and turned around to be sure the locks were really _locked_. He followed Yuno into the next room.

"So", she began, "what's your plan?"

Yuki honestly didn't know.


	3. Chapter 3

Yuki sat there, his head in his hands. He had told Yuno everything he knew and she had sat there. Totally still. She showed no emotion, she simply sat there, with a straight face. She looked like a statue, contemplating every possible outcome. Yuki had tried every possible thing but it was always silence that replied to him. He made sure the kids didn't intrude, sometimes they had petty squabbles but he solved those pretty quickly. He forgot how long they had been sitting, he wasn't going to complain. Her life was now as flipped as his.

He stood and walked over to Yuno, he placed a hand on her back and rubbed. He sat next to her and took her into his arms, she didn't object. He rubbed her back and patted her head, he stopped as soon as he saw a small river of tears slide down her face. He picked up his hand and wiped them off, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"What are we going to do?", she asked helplessly. She wasn't first world Yuno, she didn't have the skills they needed. Although she had the memories, she didn't have the proper training for that. Of course, first world Yuno was crazy.

She placed a hand over her swollen belly, they were all in danger and they had to do something. She turned to meet Yuki's eyes, he seemed as lost as she was.

He took in a deep breath, "I play."

Yuno's tears came down even faster and she put her head on his chest. There were only four left but one was hellbent on becoming god. They had killed someone without even having a day pass by. It hadn't even been 4 hours.

Yuki looked grim, "I am going to leave, it's to protect you all."

Yuno couldn't help but tighten her grip on him. Even if it wasn't her _real_ Yuki, she still needed him.

"We can't do that, you're here and we have a family", she smiled at him. Her pink eyes glowed in a lovely way, he couldn't help but to soften. Truly, he didn't want to leave, but everything going on was up to him.

He shook his head, "You and the other Yuki have a family. I'm an intruder, who knows if I win I can go back and bring the third world Yuki back."

She looked down and reached for his hand, she gripped it like a lifeline.

"You're still Yuki, no matter what world it is, you are all the same. You're not leaving us."

She sounded firm, Yuki guessed motherhood gave her the tough love tone memorized.

"You're not leaving us again."

Yuki froze, in a way, she was right. Third Yuki was missing somewhere, if they went and the other Diary Owners came here, they would only find his family.

Perfect way to get to him.

He sighed, and nodded. He knew she was right, she was always right. Yuno suddenly smiled. She got him to stay, to protect and to love. She couldn't lose him, ever. Her family was at stake, she strived for the family to love and cherish. She never had that as a child, she needed it now.

Yuki's face was hardened though, "One is sadistic enough to kill without even thinking about it. We _have_ to be careful."

Yuno nodded, "The kids are off for a week anyway, if this is still going on I'll keep them from school."

Yuno paused before adding, "Do you have any idea who any of them are?"

Yuki sighed, "Aya Sato is all that I know. There was a boy, and 2 men. I don't know who is dead now."

"A boy? How old?"

Yuki tried to remember his voice, "I don't know. He sounded pretty young, not old enough to be a real threat."

Yuno shook slightly, ever since she had children of her own she had developed feeling, a motherly love for everything. It wasn't like the old Yuno.

Yuki stood, which was hard considering that Yuno still held onto him. He pushed her to stand along with him.

"Minene said that she would help, but," he looked around to be sure there were no kids, "I have to do the killing if I run across one of them."

Yuno nodded and looked down at her bulging, "I won't be too much of a help until the baby gets here."

Yuki's curiosity got the better of him, "Do you know the gender?"

Yuno blushed slightly, "It's a surprise, Yukki."

He shook his head, he needed to stay focus, he needed to protect and win. He was god wasn't he? He was god of the second world, all connections were supposed to be cut off. _What_ was happening?

"I'm going to call a private meeting with Deus", Yuki said, standing.

Yuno nodded and led him up the stairs to their bedroom, "Go ahead, try not to take too long, dinner will be ready soon."

* * *

Yuki was back at the platform that had started the confusion. He was in the grand place once more, but he was not in the mood to be amazed by this place.

"Deus", Yuki called. A chair on the opposite end turned around to show the god himself.

"Ah, Yukiteru, I was expecting you.", the god said, his eyes opened to stare down Yuki.

"Why am I here, Deus?", Yuki asked. He stared his fellow god down, he had the same,if not more, power.

Deus shook his head, "Always to the point with you, Yuki. You changed when your parents died."

Yuki felt a sting of pain in his heart, they died 10,000 years ago but they were his parents. The first people that loved him and he loved.

"Shut up, Deus. You know why I am here." Yuki said, with clear poison in his tone.

Deus raised an eyebrow, "I suppose, but do you?"

Yuki's anger continued to ride, "I do! You put me here, in a random place and you throw me into a second round? Deus, I am god. Stop this nonsense and make sure Yuno and the kids are safe!"

Deus place a hand on his head in a thinking notion, "I can't do that, the games are in motion. As for you not being in the correct world-"

Deus was cut off and Yuki was thrown off the platform. He fell through the darkness. Damnit, he was a_ god._

He stopped falling, he lifted himself right side up and flew back to the platform. What had pushed him off? Deus was the only one here in the room with him. Yet, out of nowhere, Deus was gone. The massive throne held nobody, it looked as if nobody had ever been there in the first place. Deus wasn't one to just _move_. Yuki had never seen Deus walk, let alone disappear, Deus was huge. He couldn't just fly away.

Or could he?

Yuki's eyes analyzed the room, taking in everything. Not was there, not even evidence.

What was going on?

* * *

He woke up in the bed that next second and stared over at the clock. It read 3 in the morning. He rubbed his eyes and his stomach growled, had his short meeting really taken that long? Nobody was near him, maybe Yuno was off doing something and the kids were sleeping. It didn't matter, he was hungry.

He trudged down the stairs and went into the kitchen, looking for anything he could eat. He decided on a bowl of cereal. He got everything he needed and sat down to eat, almost falling from a slippery substance on the floor. But he decided to ignore it.

As he finished, he put the bowl away. He was pleasantly shocked that nobody had awakened.

That's when he saw it, a note pinned to the wall. It glowed red, of blood. He looked down, only to see the slippery liquid taint the white floor with red.

_No, no, no, no ,no. _This was everything he DIDN'T want. Somebody took Yuno, wait. The kids. He ran out the kitchen and sprinted up the stairs. He opened the kid's rooms. Their beds were still made from this morning. God, where were they? Yuki ran down the stairs and turned on every light switch.

He wished he didn't.

The floor was decorated with blood and in the center of the living room, a body laid. It was a rather large man, he had short hair and tattoos all over every visible area. He was dead, he had to be. His lifeless body was randomly laid there. Something had killed him, but what?

Yuki remembered the note.

He turned his head toward the kitchen, not wanting to move.

_Minene._

Before doing anything else, he pulled out his cellphone. He found her number quickly and pressed call. He shakily held the phone next to his ear until he heard a click.

"Yukiteru, what's wrong?" The urgency in her voice was clear. What other reason should he be calling so late.

Yuki was breathing heavy, he had lost his voice. The breathing was enough for Ninth.

"I'll be there in 10 minutes", was all he heard before the disconnected click rang in his ears. He dropped the phone and walked slowly toward the kitchen.

He kept his head level to avoid seeing the blood. There was too much blood for all of it to be the man's. He gulped and looked at the bloodstained note.

He took it off the wall carefully. The blood looked dry, but he was sure to not touch it.

He made his eyes focus on the messy handwriting on the paper.

_If you want them back, come to the outskirts of town. There is a field next to an abandoned house. If you call the cops, I kill them. If you are later than 12:00 pm, I will kill them. I expect you to come soon, one of them is bleeding._

_FIRST, Meet Second._

Yuki fell to the floor. This was exactly what he wanted to avoid.


	4. Chapter 4

Yuki had hardly recovered his voice by the time Minene showed up. He showed her the note and she remained tough. Her exterior frowned but showed no signs of weakness. Yuki wished he was the same. He was trembling, his heart was pounding against his chest. He had sweat beading down his face and everything seemed to slow around him.

Finally, after reading the note, Minene helped examine the body of the man that laid dead in the living room.

Minene crouched near him, taking in his appearance. She seemed particularly interested in the tattoos that the man possessed.

She finally sighed and stood, she scratched her head in a thinking manner.

"Yukiteru, I'm going to ask you a question and you have to answer truthfully."

Yuki gulped and nodded his head, he didn't trust his voice. He had watched her examine the body without batting an eye. He was going insane on the inside. She should have been in the game, not him. No, this game was cruel and she had a family of her own. He wouldn't wish this game on anybody. Especially that small boy. It reminded him of Fifth except older. Still no excuse, that little boy was going to die exactly like Fifth.

Minene huffed and Yuki was brought back to reality from his thoughts.

Yuki gulped once more, he had to be strong or he had no chance at winning. Gods weren't afraid, they controlled everything.

"S-sorry, What did you say?", he managed. God, he sounded just as horrible as he felt, he couldn't speak above a whisper.

She stared at him,awaiting an answer. She looked so unimpressed by him. Finally, she turned to his eyes and spoke again.

"I asked, are you and Yuno involved in the gang 'StalKings'?"

It seemed like a funny question to Yuki, but the tone in Minene's voice told him that it was nothing to be messed with.

He shook his head and he saw her gears turn. Her faced locked in a very unpleasing way. Like she just confirmed her worst suspicions.

"Well then, we have a problem."

Yuki stiffened, "What's going on?"

Minene looked down to the dead man, "Judging from his tattoos, he's apart of the StalKings. A vicious, barbaric gang that run everything bad in this city. Drugs, prostitution, gambling, they are the definition of illegal. If I'm correct...", she looked up at Yuki with a cold purple eye. She was watching, studying his actions. Studying him.

"You're against their leader, a diary holder."

* * *

Yuki woke up, his head feeling as if somebody was driving a screwdriver into his temple. He held on to his head and realized that he was moving. He looked out the window to see the city still. Nighttime still covered the city, the moon was shining brightly on his face. The car he was in was being managed by Minene, who was currently clutching her steering wheel.

She glanced over at the guy and snorted, "Finally you're up."

Yuki held on to his head and read the time on the clock in the car.

_5:42 AM_

So he had been out for a little more than 2 hours. He watched as the city whirled past him. Then he realized where they were going.

"The outskirts of town...", he mumbled as he still held on to his head. Why was it hurting?

"Yukiteru, let me see your diary", Minene said aloud, holding her robotic hand out but firmly keeping her real hand on the steering wheel. Looking now, Yuki could see how she hadn't changed at all. Her old combat boots were worn along with black pants and a black military vest. Her exterior had changed quite a bit in these years, but under it lay the menacing terrorist, Ninth.

Remembering her request, he dug his hand in his pocket to bring out a smartphone. It was a normal phone, a type that was all the rage these days. Yet, Yuki had no idea how to use it. This was 10 years in the future, not counting his god years. She clicked a few buttons with ease and went to the button titled, "Schedule"

He watched as she took in the knowledge that the phone predicted. She was glancing down at the phone when Yuki was suddenly jerked to the right. The pain in his head increased as he bashed his head into the window. _That_ hurt.

Yuki opened his mouth to comment but watched as a car sped out of nowhere from the left. It would have hit them if she stayed on course.

She waved the phone in the air in a "know-it all way", grinning as she spoke, "I forgot how much fun knowing the future was."

They drove along, staying quiet. Yuki was thankful that she didn't turn on the music, as his headache would sure flare from any type of tune.

"Can you tell me why my head's hurting?", he grumbled. He smacked something pretty hard, if it was still hurting, he thought it could be serious.

She smirked and snorted a tiny laugh, "You fell and hit your head on that guy's boot. Pretty nasty fall.", she mussed. Yuki couldn't get over the fact that a dead guy's shoe is what caused his massive headache. He played it off and shrugged.

He looked out the window with longing eyes, of course Ninth didn't see. This would be considered weakness to her. Well, even more weakness.

"What am I going to do? We didn't really have a plan."

Ninth still had a smirk glued on to her face, it made it seem like she enjoyed this. As if she was just enjoying herself. She may well die tonight but here she was, smiling like this was something she loved doing. Yuki truly wondered about her sometimes.

"So, what are we going against?", Yuki asked as they finally left the city. Minene clutched the wheel, as if deciding to share the information or not.

"These guys... not very nice. They make me look like a teddy bear."

Yuki gulped, they were so much worse than he hoped and she only spoke two sentences. She didn't realize Yuki's panic and continued, "They have a notoriety for not being caught. For anything. It's as if they disappear off the face of the Earth, only showing themselves if they want anything."

Yuki thought hard, trying to figure out a plan that would keep them safe and the gang away, but how? The Random Diary did record the things around him no doubt. Yet, how can they see something that was hardly ever there? He could portray himself as bait and Ninth would come in for the rescue. Was he willing to risk that? If he died, would they kill Yuno and the kids?

They stayed silent until they reached a grassy plain. In the distance, was a small dark speck. It must've been the abandoned house. Minene looked at Yuki with her single eye, but she looked just as intimidating as a normal person.

With her eyes she asked, _There's no going back. Are you ready?_

Yuki wanted to scream no, he wanted to run and hide and never come back to this place. But that was selfish, he wanted to slap himself just for thinking that. He wasn't a child anymore, he was a man, a god. He had the power to create and destroy. To comfort himself, he focused on a blade of grass outside and, with a simple unheard command, the grass withered and dissolved into nonexistence. He was a god, he had nothing to fear. No matter what the leader's Diary was, he was certain he could defeat it. Yuki nodded and opened the car door with a smirk evident on his face. His powers weren't limited, he had full control of the space around him. He and Minene walked across the field, there heads lowered as to not be spotted too early. Minene had explained that she wanted to scout before anything. With the lack of her Escape Diary, they had to play it smart and search for all the possible exits.

From their position, they could see the warehouse the note spoke of. It was large, it was possibly a place that a factory stored its products or spare parts. No matter, it looked to be about four stories tall and the building itself looked unkept and deserted. Graffiti covered the paint chipped walls, even the street art on it was looking faded. This place looked so desolate, it was easy to tell how the gang hadn't been caught. Yet, why would they lead them to their base? There had to be a catch.

Minene scoped around, her escaping mind took over. They had at least circled around 5 times before she huffed.

"They're cunning, I'll give them that," she snorted before she showed a crocked smile. Yuki knew she found something. "There's a vent system about 12 feet up and crates on the other side. If we're quiet enough, we can sneak in without being noticed."

She put her hand in her bad and took out the usual things Ninth would carry, a few explosive grenades, 2 flash grenades, and a pistol. Yuki watched as she examined each piece, most likely thinking of how to use each piece in a number of different scenarios Yuki liked that. Her brain could overcome about anything and he knew this by countless lessons. She was brave as they came with no fear of losing. She played like everything was on the line. Which it was.

"Yukiteru, help me move the crates. Can't do it all by myself", Minene said flatly as she waved her stub of an arm in front of his face. He wondered for a second...

"Hey! What are you doing?!", she spit at him with a venomous whisper. Even angry, she remembered where she was and what was at stake. Yuki had grabbed her stub and was staring at it intently.

"Shush, just looking", Yuki explained but kept his eyes on her arm. She reddened from frustration but allowed him to keep her arm.

Suddenly, she felt tingles where her arm was. That was impossible though, her arm had been gone for 10 years. It was strange, like she had feeling again. She felt a twinge of pain but it was bearable enough to let it slip by. What was he doing? From a crooked grin, Yuki stared down and she followed his gaze. Was it only her or...

_What?_

Her arm was regenerating, the tingles were the cells being built and strengthen. She watched as her arm continued to grow from the power of Yuki's god power. She had some of second world Deus's power but she never had enough without draining herself. She used it for simply things like strength or speed, but over the years she hardly even touched the god-energy.

With a huff of breath, Yuki finally looked up with a smile huge on his face. Minene couldn't help a smirk when she wiggled her fingers.

"Thanks, oh so powerful god," Minene said sarcastically.

"Now, can we get to work?"

**I'm so sorry for how long it's been since my last update. I'm home all this week so I'll put up more!**


	5. Chapter 5

It took a few tries but finally both Minene and Yuki were able to lift each up to the vent. It helped that Minene had her arm again, but she was getting use to it. Which was taking its time. Fortunately, it was still the dark and they hardly made any noise. If anything, they held the element of surprise. It maybe took 30 minutes, maybe an hour or two. All he knew was that he saw the sun on the horizon but just barely.

He turned around to meet Ninth's back, the vents were large enough to fit them but it didn't mean that it was a comfortable fit. It was dusty, which agitated Yuki's eyes and gave him the uncontrollable urge to sneeze. He controlled it though, he had to. They moved slowly and steadily, he was grateful that Minene was up front, she tested each spot and told Yuki to be extra careful with his weight on certain parts. With her help, they swiftly moved around, on parts where they could look down ,from an open vent, Minene took her time to analyze each guard. She gave him the summary of each stop and a plan that would disarm them. Had he mentioned that he was thankful?

"Minene?", Yuki whispered loud enough for her to stop moving. She held still and nodded her head in acknowledgement. She was an intelligent woman, she made no noise unless it was necessary. He trusted nobody else and he knew she was faithful, especially to her friends. Being raised an only child, he was grateful to have an older sister figure. Even at the age of 25, you always need a sister. She was more damaged than him, living a horrid nightmarish life but she was strong. Stronger than anybody he had ever met, he wished he had her strength and smarts. It was something he strived for, he just could never achieve the level he wanted.

"Thank you," he murmured, he was quiet, he almost thought that she hadn't heard him. Silence filled the air between them, which wasn't much. Yuki sighed and decided to say it again but louder.

Just as he opened his mouth, she opened hers. "I'm doing this because I love you and your family. They don't mess with us without a fight, I'll be damned if I let anything happen to you guys. I have kids of my own, I can't imagine what you're going through." She paused for a minute, collecting herself, "I will go home to my family and you're coming with me."

The words were heartwarming and honest, it comforted him to know that she truly cared so much. He put a hand on her back, he would hug her later for her kind words. It was impossible to do that now. She didn't shake his hand off, she accepted it. They were in this together.

They continued throughout the vents, stopping to look down every once and a while. It gave time for Yuki to think. What were they going to do when the time came. Apparently, this gang was responsible for a lot of what was illegal in the city. They didn't expect to kill the leader and be on their merry way. The leader would have connections and would come after them, maybe if they escaped the city? He didn't know, he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

"Yukiteru, they're under us."

And with that, Yuki's blood froze. He felt slush run through his veins, his heart trying to warm his freezing body. Every time they had stopped, he felt the anticipation that they would be there in his sights. Each time they didn't find them, he felt somewhat relieved but it led to more suspense each time they stopped. Now that they had found them, he didn't know what to think. He always heard, "I can't see them" or "Keep moving." He wasn't expecting this.

He looked down, he saw the family tied with rope and with rags covering their mouths. His children looked terrified and Yuki could see a small glint of light coming from their tear streaked faces. Well, everyone except for Hideo. He seemed to be waiting and watching, he took in his surroundings. _What a smart boy_, Yuki thought.

Yuki noticed a pair of men at the family's sides, they looked similar to the dead man that was found in his living room. They all had tattoo covered bodies and short hair, their muscles bulged and some were smoking.

_Yuno's pregnant though!_

Yuki clenched his teeth, second hand smoke was no better than first hand. Yuno and the baby could be in trouble. Minene seemed to realize this too since her fists clenched. Each person had a different face and a different feeling to them, but each had the same mission. _Kill the man by using his family as bait. _

Yuki looked around, trying to identify the leader. It would probably be the most menacing one, but Yuki wasn't leading it up to chance. He wanted to kill the man, no matter how much Yuki was afraid, he swore he would. His eyes shifted back to the family, _his _family. Yuno sat there with a strong expression firm on her face, she watched the door, expecting Yuki any minute. The kids were huddled next to their mother, seeking comfort she couldn't give. Hideo looked around again, probably from nervousness, he took in everything around him. Nobody noticed that Hideo pulled out a cell phone. He kept it close to his thigh and kept it hidden, he concentrated on what was on the screen. He heaved an unnoticeable sigh and slowly typed something, being careful to not get caught. Yuki felt his pocket vibrate.

He pulled out his phone, sure enough, Hideo sent him a message.

_Mirrors everywhere. _

Yuki was puzzled, then remembered Minene had flash grenades. With mirrors around, one would be enough to stun a lot of them if it was placed precisely. Yuki couldn't help but think, _How did he know I was here?_

He looked to Minene, who was concentrated on something, before whispering, "It's a mirror warehouse, a flash would be enough to confuse them."

She took this into account and smirked, "Smart idea..."

Before anything else was said, a man walked to the family and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

"It's 7, he better be getting here soon. I'm growing impatient."

Yuki figured the man was the leader, but ,really, it could be anybody. The man had longer hair than the rest and a rough face. He had a jagged scar on his right cheek that shined in the light. He wore normal clothes but Yuki could see the pistol that was hidden under his shirt. He couldn't see any more features, he waited.

He heard a voice that was muffled by the cloth, it was a weak voice. It alarmed him, was it the kids?

The man looked over the family and walked over to Yuno, and giving her a slap to the back.

Yuki flinched, but he couldn't be compromised, not now. _Nothing she can't shake off._

The words may have been true but the slap made Yuno's cloth turn red. Yuki's eyes widened, why didn't he remember that?!

_Someone is bleeding. _

She must've been stabbed, or shot... The baby was in danger. Yuki's face flushed with anger, this man had no soul! Minene was also angry, but she used her anger to fuel her mind.

"Minene, we have to get them!", it came out louder than he had meant it, but he didn't care right now.

"Shush," she said harshly, "How will we save them if we are caught?"

Yuki considered this and sighed in defeat, he was glad she was here. She was the rational one, he would have died several times over if it weren't for her. But now, the lives of everybody were hanging by a thread.

"If I go down there, can you cover me?"

He asked with a firm whisper, Yuno needed help. He couldn't wait any longer. Minene's face looked at him carefully, "I can't promise anything, but I'll try."

Yuki pulled out his phone to see if there were any entries that could help him. He saw one. It read that they had to keep moving in the vent, there would be a rope that would lead them down, behind everybody. It was perfect. Too perfect. Yuki would take those odds though, if it saved his family it was worth anything. Including his life.

Minene paused, "We'll go together."

Even though it was a perfect cover spot, Minene couldn't just move out of the way. They hardly had enough space to move. Yuki, sadly, didn't have the gift of weapons and grenades that Ninth possessed. It sucked, but he felt safer with her around. They slowly moved around the vents once more, as quietly as ever.

Eventually, they found the vent opening and the rope. They carefully slid down, Yuki cursed silently when he got a rope burn. He shook his hands and walked on, Minene silently leading him. They crouched behind some boxes behind the family. Yuki's eyes widened. Yuno had a stab wound in her back, her shirt was soaked in blood. That wasn't heathy for her or the baby. The blood smelled vile, she had been bleeding for awhile. There were maybe only 20 people here, they didn't have enough bullets for all of them but enough to scare some away.

Suddenly, a group of men walked into the factory.

"There's an empty car by the field, might be him," a man said in a husky voice. Yuki and Minene laid on their stomach to not be seen. They listened carefully, they had to see who was in charge here.

"He hasn't made himself known though," the man with longer hair mussed, "not one peep."

"But since he's here, somewhere. I think we should get him here, huh?" He pulled out a knife and strolled to Akira, "Hey sweetie, want your daddy?"

The little girl's eyes widened in fear. The man grabbed her cloth and pulled it off, a scream erupted throughout the factory.

"Look at the lungs on that one!" The man yelled aloud, "If you don't come out, I'll kill them!"

Yuki stiffened, he wasn't a coward. Minene laid down and held her hand out. _The diary_, her hand whispered. He gave it to her and she nodded. He stood, making his presence known. The members stood there, shocked that Yuki had been behind them all along.

The man smirked, "Well, well, well, look who is here,"' he said with a tease. Yuki got a better look at the man's face. It was cruel and held years of abuse. He was one to take and never give. His voice was as sharp as a knife and as cold as snow. He held no emotion, he had a sadistic air to him. Yuki stood tall but not tall enough. The man was only inches taller but his body had more muscle and tone than Yuki, Yuki was lean and swift but this man could have been a fighter. He probably was. He probably ran illegal Fight Clubs.

Yuki walked towards him, slowly and cautiously, but still the group held guns pointed at him. One shot and Yuki would be dead, hopefully Minene would use his death as a distraction to kill them all. He felt at peace dying for that. The man held out his hand, his pale skin was hard and covered with scars, and waited. "Diary."

Yuki shrugged, "Don't have it on me." The man grew furious.

"What are you talking about?! Of course you have it. Don't think I'm stupid!"

Yuki's face remained neutral and calm, "I don't have it," he repeated.

"Give it to me!", the man yelled, coming forward and giving the knife to a fellow goon. The other man held the knife to Akira's throat, her fear made a squeak come out.

The man looked at Yuki, hard in the eyes, "I'll kill them."

Yuki thought hard, he chose his words carefully, "Release them and I'll give you my diary."

The man smirked, "You're in no place to make negotiations." Yuki had no idea how many men were slowly making their way towards him. He tensed, no not him, his family. The man held his hand up and held 3 fingers. The man with the knife slit Akira's throat, her screams deafened the , it was silent as her lifeless body fell forward, her head bashing against the ground and her body making a light thud sound. Blood spilt all around her and she seemed to tremble before finally going still. Yuno's muffled screams was what you heard next. The screams were pleading and helpless, she sobbed loud and hard. Yuki was left dazed, what kind of monster would order such a sadistic thing? What kind of monster followed that order?! That wasn't the end of it. As blood soaked the pants of Haruo, a loud bang was heard. Yuki watched as Haruo fell next, a bullet erupted from in between his eyes. An overwhelming stench of smoke and blood filled the room. Bits of brain and skull fell next to Yuki. Two children were dead, but he held up 3 fingers...

"GET DOWN!", a voice behind him commanded. Yuki was shocked but his body collapsed under instinct. It got bright, so bright... _Minene_.

He had forgotten about here, fear poured out of every inch of his body. He raised his hands to disable the guns the thugs held and they dissembled and fell to the floor. He concentrated on the evil man next, but nothing happened. The man stood there, his hands over his eyes. He was yelling when an explosion came from behind him, taking out nearly all of his men. A frag grenade. He looked around before running as fast as Yuki could blink. He was a well in shape man but he had never seen anybody run so fast. It was probably adrenaline. Minene pulled out her pistol and shoot, it seemed her bullets hit all of the thug targets but she would narrowly miss the man. Yuki ran to the family, quickly bringing out his god powers to cut the rope. Yuno got up and scooted to Akira and Haruo and held them, shaking them. Yuki cut off Hideo's ropes, his face matured quickly. The small boy got up, grabbed a gun from a dead goon and started to shoot.

"Hideo, get down!", Yuki yelled as some more goons started to shot. Hideo didn't listen, bullets were shot and aimed for him. To kill. Yuki couldn't watch, but he couldn't take his eyes off of it. He was thrown a gun as Minene approached.

With a pained look in her purple eye, she screamed over the gun shots, "Kill them, I got this."

Yuki nodded, he realized she had broken her own rule about not killing anyone. She nearly killed everyone. Yuki took a glance at the children that were being held by a desperate Yuno, her own blood mixed with theirs. She sobbed and held on to her babies, her words droned on and begged for them to move. He felt his own tears escape as he saw Haruo's pink eyes staring at nothing and Akira mouth overflown with blood. Both faces were blank, they held no emotion. No life.

He got up and searched for Hideo, he saw the boy walking. The gun raised and fired until he heard a small clicking noise, signaling the end of bullets. He threw the gun at a man and quickly picked up another from a dead body. Yuki shot along with him, killing everybody he saw as a threat. Blocking bullets that came for either him or Hideo. He saw where the frag had exploded. Limbs were scattered everywhere and some men moaned in agony as they clutched their stumps of legs or arms. Some were already dead from blood loss while others wished for the comforting end that was Death. Yuki didn't shoot the ones on the ground and neither did Hideo, he kicked some in the gut and even stomped on ones face. He wasn't the forgiving type from what Yuki could tell.

Soon enough, they ran out of enemies to shoot. The man had disappeared, their one true target. Yuki breathed heavily, processing everything that had happened. Hideo had everything already figured out. Solemnly, he walked back to his family, leaving Yuki behind. Yuki shook his head, his body shaking. He had killed two children today from his own ignorance, even if he was a god, he couldn't bring them back...

"NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!", was all Yuki heard from the other end of the factory. The screams were horrific and painful. Yuki ran back and grabbed Hideo's shoulder, he didn't need to see what had happened to his siblings. Hideo turned back ferociously, Yuki dropped his hand.

Hideo's eyes... they were an exact replica of Yuno's pink eyes. But they weren't soft and gentle like this world's Yuno. They were unforgiving and vicious, exactly like first world Yuno's. They had a sickly reddish glow to them, they looked insane, grieving, powerful, striking, superior, unsatisfied , and mesmerizing.

One other thing, they looked hungry.

**I'm so sorry I killed the children! It killed me writing it, my poor OC's... oh well. They'll make this story a lot more interesting, don't you think?**


	6. Chapter 6

The car was filled with the sobs of Yuno and nobody had a single comforting thing to say. Yuki sat in the back and allowed Yuno to weep into his chest, Ninth was currently clenching the wheel and had a few tears roll down her cheeks. She loved those children just as she loved her children, and their tragic deaths had ripped a vicious hole in each of their hearts. Yuki couldn't see Hideo, as he sat in the passenger front, but he already knew what was there. His eyes had calmed but his attitude was silently waiting for a chance to strike back. Yuki couldn't get the image of Hideo's burning eyes, Yuno's eyes, out of his head. The looked crazed and inhumane, but this was a child. He shouldn't be like that, so bitter and angry, but what was Yuki to do? His siblings had been murdered without a second thought and Yuki knew that Hideo was next until Minene stepped in.

"We're nearing the hospital", Minene said as she stepped on the gas pedal a little harder. It was morning now and cars headed to work honked whenever Minene would swerve to get ahead. There were no cops around, but Yuki didn't care for that right now. They had to get Yuno healed so they could get her moved. Yuki put a hand on Yuno's belly and rubbed encouragingly, Yuno looked up to Yuki and she only sobbed more. Nobody blamed her as she blared howls or pain and anguish, she had just lost two of her babies.

_I lost them too, _Yuki thought. Technically, they weren't his and he had hardly known them for a day but he had lost two of this world Yuki's kids, wherever he was. Yuki thought of the slit throat girl and brainless boy and he felt himself choke up on the dread that clogged his emotions.

The car came to a sudden halt and Yuki held on to Yuno so she wouldn't sustain any more damage. He looked out the window to see a white building with a red cross out front and directly to the right was the word "HOSPITAL". Yuki guessed they had arrived whenever he was flooded with thoughts. He opened the door and leaped out and ran directly inside the facility.

"Somebody help me! My wife is in danger!" Yuki yelled into the lobby. Within seconds, a number of nurses and a man with a wheelchair were by his side. Yuki had already began moving back in order to lead them into the car.

"Sir, what is wrong?"

"Where is she?"

"Tell us what happened, sir."

The nurses stubbornly prodded and Yuki drowned them out in order to concentrate. He tried numerous times to heal Yuno's wound but nothing happened. He had to act fast.

"My wife, she's pregnant and a thug stabbed her, please, she's outside. Help her!" Yuki screamed over them. It went quiet and the nurses nodded to each other and led the wheelchair outside. Yuki walked with them and helped get the weak Yuno out of the car. Her sobs were taken as a degree of pain, by the nurse's thoughts, but they didn't know the suffering she was truly going through.

The led the wailing Yuno inside while Minene and Hideo got out of the car.

"Yuki, I'm going to get some food, want anything?" Minene asked in a tired voice. Hideo didn't bother looking at Yuki, he looked down at his feet.

Yuki tried to manage a smile but he ended up looking awkward, so he simply nodded and inside. He tried to think that everything was going to work out, but the thought wouldn't come to him.

* * *

Ryo walked into his home, clutching his arm since a bullet had grazed it during the ordeal. Had he known about that woman, things would have gone much more smoothly. He would find more information about her later, it wouldn't be too hard. Then again, he didn't get much of a look. Hopefully some of his boys made it and they would give a description. Maybe they had even taken care of first. Truthfully, he didn't care, he just needed first out of the game. He had worked too hard for the runt to best him. He was going to win, and nobody was going to stand in his way.

He walked to his bathroom, his intent was to grab the first aid kit and patch himself up. Grabbing the small white and red box, he pulled out gauze and thought things over.

"He's smart enough to be a threat," Ryo mussed as he wrapped his arm, the blood seeping through. He grabbed a rag and whipped the excess blood, it would heal in a few days. He was fine, but his men... He had no idea if they were dead or alive. He hoped alive.

He huffed and glanced at the clock that hung above his head, it read 9:04. He mentally slapped himself, he hadn't gotten any rest and he promised to see Kaya later. She would scold him before asking about his arm, he just knew it. He walked over to his bed and, before laying down, opened his journal. Nothing new had been added, it seemed like the others were being rather quiet. He stared at it, waiting for something to happen. He had killed fourth easily because the man was far too hyper with his new toy, he didn't even care he ended a life in cold blood. The man was useless anyway, he lived in his mother's house when he was 37. Pathetic. He didn't deserve god powers, but Ryo did. He was planning on winning, there was _no_ room for failure. He had to do what he had to do. What he promised to do.

He sat down, setting an alarm for 11:30, that should be more than enough time to rest and be ready for Kaya. He smiled at the thought of her, he was happy because now he had the opportunity to save her. He loved her more than he thought possible and he was willing to do anything for her.

He laid down and closed his eyes, grinning, First now got the clear message that he was going to win.

At all costs.

* * *

"Hideo," Minene started as they sat in a booth at a local fast food place, playing with a golden, crispy fry. She had noticed that he was quiet, which was normal since he had just suffered the biggest loss ever at the tender age of...

"It's your birthday..." Minene suddenly recalled. This wasn't how you were suppose to spend a birthday, this kid's life had been viciously mangled in front of him today. Hideo was quiet, poking at his burger with a fork, not wanting to eat.

"It is, but there is not a thing to celebrate. I'm 10. Whoop. My siblings are dead."

"Don't say that!" Minene said in a tone that made him hush. How could he be saying such things? He _should _be in the shocked stage or even the grieving stage, but no. He seemed so... Minene didn't even have a word. It wasn't normal, and she took note of it.

With a sigh, she looked out the window and back at Hideo. She opened her mouth when Hideo interrupted.

"Aunt Minene, your arm..." He sounded confused and intrigued, it was strange considering what she had just heard. She realized the Yuno and Hideo weren't in the mood to notice things, but here Hideo was. Surprising her yet again.

"Uh, yeah, um... Your dad...fixed it," she explained awkwardly. What was she suppose to say? Yuki should be the one to explain that situation to Hideo, not her.

"How?" He urged, a glint in his eyes showed excitement. He was like a small child being given a fun, new toy and she couldn't help but smile.

"He'll tell you later," was all she replied before finally putting a fry into her mouth. Seeing all the children around her, she suddenly remembered _her_ family. She was going to receive hell...

She pulled out her cell and searched through to find Nishijima, she hesitated before finally clicking the call button. It rung twice. Only twice.

"Minene! Where are you?! You can't just walk out and leave us! Where are you, who are you with?"

The yells came out so loud that nearby tables looked over at her for a few seconds before returning to their own conversations. She sighed, she expected this.

"Nishijima, calm down, I'm with Hideo right now," she explained with a firm tone.

"Hideo? Oh yeah, it's his birthday. Still, you could've said that you were leaving. Tell him I said Happy Birthday." Nishijima insisted before sighing, "Well, I have work. I dropped the kids off at my parent's, call me later, sweetie. I love you."

Minene felt the tears blur her vision, after everything that had just happened, it was heaven to here that he loved her, "I love you too..." She said a little emotionally.

"Minene, are you okay?"

He genuinely cared about her, something she went several years without. She loved him and appreciated him more than she could express. He always knew everything about her.

She perked up, "I'm fine, just, I love you. Talk to you later, bye."

"Minene, wa-"

She closed the phone shut and put it away. She put her face into her palms, she didn't even know if she would be alive later. She had gotten in too deep, but now the StalKings knew about her, or at least she thought.

"Aunt Minene?" she heard a small voice say. It was Hideo. She lifted her head and smiled at him, wet,warm tears streaking her face.

She wiped her face with a napkin and took a deep breath to calm her, she smiled at the boy. "I'm fine." What a lie that was.

Hideo watched her and offered a smile of his own, not believing a single word she just said.

"It's okay, we'll get those men."

Ninth was eager for the new challenge, but Minene was worried. For the second time in her life, she felt split.

"I hope so," she whispered low enough for nobody to hear.

* * *

Yuki stood bedside while Yuno slept, he held her hand, only leaving whenever it was required. The wound was fairly deep but they patched her up, she'd be free to leave by tomorrow if she liked. Today if she got the rest she needed. The baby needed.

He smiled at her calm, sleeping body. They had to sedate her in order to stitch her back up. They figured she overreacted to the wound, but they didn't know that her wound went much deeper than that knife ever could. No matter what, he couldn't bring back people. He could reanimate them, but the souls were forever lost. Yuno knew this, that was why she was so heartbroken.

Yuno stirred and her eyes slowly opened, Yuki shaking her hand.

"Yuno? You okay Yuno?"

She looked at him with the most tender, gentle eyes he had ever seen, they looked drowsy but strangely aware. She gave a small smile.

"Kill them all."

She slipped into unconsciousness once more, leaving her limp hand in Yuki's. He set her hand down and got up. He had to find some of these thugs, as he just realized something.

He was going to kill them all.


	7. Chapter 7

Yuki walked the streets near the hospital, constantly checking his phone for new updates. He grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled it up to his jawline, blocking his face from the wind. More than that, it covered his face and the last thing he needed was to be found by the StalKings. He would find them and take him out. It was only fair.

"An eye for an eye," Yuki muttered. He slicked his hair back and continued walking, peeking down alley ways and constantly looking around him. It was night and the temperature was quickly dropping, the moon was Yuki's only source of light. Everything else was fueled by anger. His eyesight locked in on everything that moved or looked suspicious. His ears were tuned into every slight bump. From a car skidding to someone's soft sneeze.

Eventually, he found his way back to the hospital. He was disappointed by his lack of results. Well then again, an infamous gang that outran the police wouldn't be found just strolling the streets. He let out an annoyed huff before walking into the building.

"You're lucky I can't find you," Yuki said to himself as he clicked the floor Yuno was on. She said to kill them and he would, all he needed was a shot. He guaranteed that he wouldn't fail. He waited for the elevator to ding and stepped out, wondering what to do. He knew that the man would find him eventually, but he needed to catch the man first. He wasn't giving him the first chance to strike. Not again.

It hit him that this man was not the only one left in the game, there was still that model and the young child. God, he put a hand to his face, he would hate to be the one that killed that child. There was no sympathy in this game, he had to stay strong for his family. He was a god for crying out loud. It hit him that his powers worked fine for everything else other than the man himself. It seemed that he wasn't allowed to use his power for cheap shots, damn. But who would make it so? He was a god, who had power above him. So many questions and there weren't any answers. He hardly had a solution to his current problem.

He walked into Yuno's room, putting a fake smile on his face that way she wouldn't be afraid. She had to believe that he could take care of himself and them. The baby was fine and Hideo was fine, but the lives of Haruo and Akira were lost and that was something he could never make up for.

"Dad," he heard a voice call. He knew that it was Hideo, everybody else was dead. Happy thoughts. He glanced at Yuno before looking over to Hideo, who was sitting in a chair with a sleeping Minene in another chair.

"Yes, Hideo?" Yuki replied as he grabbed another chair. He placed the chair next to Yuno's bed and took hold of her hand, looking at Hideo.

"We brought you food," he said as he held up a colorful bag with various designs on it. Yuki thought he smelt something. He felt an ache in his stomach and realized that he hadn't eaten since last night, almost 24 hours. 24 hours, it had hardly been that much time. How did he come into all this craziness?

"Thanks, son," Yuki said as he walked up to retrieve the bag. It was cool, but he didn't care since he was starving. He opened it up, spilling the contents on the table in front of him before chowing down hungrily. Between bites, he looked up to see Hideo staring at him with a questioning face. He swallowed the food in his mouth.

"Is there something you would like to ask, Hideo?" Yuki asked, putting his food down, giving full attention to Hideo. Yuki saw a mix of emotions cross the...10 year old's face.

"Oh!" Yuki stood up, rushing over to the boy, "Happy Birthday, Hideo!" Yuki placed an eager hand on the boy's head and a careful smile. "We'll get you a gift and a party...," he paused, "though it might be a little later," he admitted.

"No need," Hideo said quickly, "It's kind of... hard now." Hideo looked to Minene, who was still sleeping peacefully. He decided if he really wanted to know how he fixed his aunt's arm. Minene's arm was never there, it wasn't something that was a cruel fact. He was always told that she had lost it in an accident. The fact that it just _appeared _was impossible. He would've mistaken it for a new robot arm but hers just moved so fluidly. Like it had always been there, even though it was a little shaky.

"How did you fix Aunt Minene's arm?" Hideo blurted before he finished his train of thought.

Yuki felt his blood heat up, he knew he would have to let it out sooner or later. He tensed, "Well, it's a funny story," he began nervously. How did you cover something like this up?

Minene had woken from the talking, as she had always been a light sleeper, though she didn't make herself known to be awake. She peaked an eye open to see Hideo look in anticipation and listening with curious ears. Truthfully, Minene felt somewhat bad that she had thrown this question on Yuki. She hadn't known how to answer it herself so she figured that maybe Hideo would take time to at least build the confidence to ask again. But no, this boy asked again only hours later. She underestimated him.

"I'm a god," Yuki finally said, a small smile on his face. Minene's eyes flew open, scanning Hideo's face. Hideo was still, but then chuckling erupted from his tiny mouth.

"Hahaha, dad, haha I'm being...serious!" Hideo said happily, but calmed down enough to look at Yuki again. A smile was huge on his face, Yuki sighed. He looked around the room to find an unplugged lamp. He focused on it and, with a single thought, lifted it up in front of Hideo's face. The lamp dangled and Hideo's eyes grew wide.

"How did you do that?!" The little boy screamed.

"Shush, you don't want anybody to hear you, right?" Yuki calmed. With ease, he put the lamp back and left it steady. Next, he flicked the light switch several times.

Hideo was now a firm believer. "Pick me up, pick me up!" He repeated to Yuki. Yuki smiled, even though his innocence was completely shattered, he was being a kid. Something that he deserved to be. Yuki focused on the boy and, just like the lamp, picked him up.

Minene watched as the two made airplane noises and laughed. She was happy, but this reminded her of the other two children's lives that were lost.

"So, dad, you're God?" Hideo asked while suspended in midair. Whenever he looked in a direction, Yuki moved him there. It may be a small room but it was large enough to do some flips.

"No, Hideo, I'm a god. Lower case g. The god of time and space," Yuki said loud enough for only Hideo to hear.

"So does that mean I'm a god too?" Hideo asked eagerly. Yuki felt sudden shame. How was he going to tell the boy that he wasn't his father, that he was third world Yuki's? He couldn't tear him down again, but the boy deserved the truth, didn't he?

"You sure are," Yuki said immediately. Damnit, that was going to bite him back later. He just couldn't stand the thought of Hideo questioning him, even if it wasn't his true son.

"That's so cool! Does that mean I can do stuff too?" Hideo asked, looking down at his hands, as if he expected something to come out of them.

"Can I be like Spiderman or the Human Torch?"

"No," Yuki said sadly, "I'll explain everything later, but for now we have to stay safe."

"Can you bring back Haruo and Akira?" Hideo asked with a serious expression.

Yuki expected this and he held back a sudden urge to sob, "Sadly, no, that is beyond my limitations."

"But why?"

This child had a real knack for learning, and he seemed so ahead. Yuki had to remember that he was only 10, _just_ turned 10 for that matter.

"I, as a god, must respect my boundaries. No matter how much I hate it," he spoke, remembering how he couldn't save the friends he killed, his parents, and even first world Yuno. All of them were lost due to his ignorance. He shook his head, "They're in a better place now, and they are safe."

"Do you know any other gods?"

Yuki was puzzled by this one. Sure, there were other gods but that was a decent question. Why didn't he know any of them? Surely, they had to be somewhere. It was strange and something that Yuki never thought twice of.

"No," Yuki finally said.

"One more question," Hideo nearly begged. He didn't have to beg, Yuki would give him an answer, even if they were lies or if he didn't know. "What are your limits?"

This one was the strangest of them all. How had he, a god for 10,000 years, not know his own limits? True enough, in those long, dark years the only power he used was the simply holding of his phone. Watching and hoping that the Future Diary would change. He knew that he could lift with a single thought, incredible speed, and...

"Creation, I can create. I can bend the things around me to my will, I have supernatural agility, telekinesis, and ,well, I don't really know. I haven't used my powers much," Yuki admitted.

"That's so cool," Hideo said, putting emphasis on each word.

Then they heard a small yawn, and they each looked over to Minene, making herself known to the duo. Hideo silenced himself before staring at Yuki with questioning eyes.

"She knows," Yuki confirmed.

Hideo looked at Minene with an excited gleam in his eyes, "Don't you think that's awesome? My dad's a god!" He nearly screamed.

Both adults hushed him then looked at Yuno, who only frowned slightly from the sudden noise. She was still sleeping, thankfully.

Minene coughed before reaching into her pocket and pulling out some money, "Hideo, dear, can you buy me a drink? I'm thirsty." She smiled and waved for him to come to her. He ran up to her, eagerly taking the money.

"Okay, I'll be right back!" He ran out the room. He looked so energized and happy.

Minene turned to Yuki, "You told him."

He shrugged and kept his eyes on Yuno, "What else was I suppose to do?"

Minene was about to suggest lying, but that had even greater consequences than telling the truth. She trusted his decision about Hideo, there were no retaliations from it. Yet.

"We'll get that guy, it's a small enough town. We'll find him first." Minene offered when Yuki was simply staring at Yuno.

"I'm really not good at this, Ninth. I'm a failure, I almost lost everybody. Akira, Haruo, almost the baby and Yuno. The only reason I won the first game was because of Yuno," Yuki said, his hands over his face. It killed him that he couldn't protect his family. He was a god. Yet he couldn't do anything. What killed him the most was that everybody had gotten injured and he didn't. He left without a scratch. Why.

"Those other players, you have any lead on them?" Minene's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

He shook his head and realized that he knew nothing of the others. He didn't even know Second's name, but there was that model. He would need to get her schedule. As much as he would love for second to die as soon as possible, his pride screamed that they needed to be the last two in the game. He wanted to triumph over Second when Second was close to winning. He wanted to prove that, in the end, he would have the last laugh.

The last laugh.

* * *

Hideo ran around the halls, occasionally getting mumbled at by passing nurses or doctors. He didn't care, his dad was a god. He was untouchable! These people could do nothing to him and he understood why he was so angry back at the factory. So empowered. He was a god and there was godly power flowing through his veins, hidden in his blood.

Hideo slowed his pace, looking around for a machine that he needed. He glanced over every corner.

"How hard can it be to find it?" He grumbled to himself. He kept glancing around, the thought came to him that he could just ask. He saw a door open and he figured that he might as well check, as he had no other leads.

He walked into the room and realized that it was a hospital room. He gasped when he saw the person sitting up in bed suddenly look his way. She was pretty. With black hair and grassy green eyes, she was perfect. Hideo felt his cheeks turn hot. The girl was his age, he guessed, but there was something strangely wrong with her.

There were several machines hooked up around her and wires were focused all over her. She raised an eyebrow in curiosity and her nose scrunched up slightly. He swore she was an angel. A damaged angel.

He looked down, his face on fire, "S-Sorry, I was looking for the s-soda machine," he stuttered, not meeting her eyes. He must've looked like an idiot. He heard a light giggle and his heart fluttered like a humming bird.

"You have a stutter?" She asked, even though she was clearly joking. He looked up and showed a small smile. She returned it.

"N-no," he battled, though he was clearly losing. He hadn't met this girl before in his life and he didn't even know her name. Yet her hold on him was undeniable.

He looked up and met her cool eyes, they reminded him of a perfect Summer's day, they were so beautiful.

"What's your name?" She asked, still staring at him with a smile. She looked so kind and gentle. She was a mother's kiss on a booboo.

"Hideo," he stumbled over himself. He knew she had heard when he saw her nod slightly. She looked him over, he thought she was judging him. A girl _that_ pretty didn't just give her name to him. If he were at school, he doubted she would ask for his name in the first place. This was a hospital, something was wrong with her. It bothered him. He had this overwhelming urge to run up and hug her, he wanted to take her illness away. He mentally slapped himself, he had only met this a minute ago, what was coming over him?

Finally she looked back into his eyes, she picked up her hand to beckon him toward her. Hideo took shaky steps, he looked down and prayed he didn't trip over his own feet. When he was close to her bed, she picked up her hand and he picked up his. She took hold of it and shook hands. When they let go, she smiled even greater.

"The soda machine is just down the hall, to the right." She said. Hideo looked closer into her features and realized that this girl was _perfect._

He backed away, "Thanks," he was about to turn before he stepped closer to her again. He still looked at his shoes. "What's your name?" He glanced up to see a delighted surprised expression on her face. Like she hadn't been expecting this. He picked up his head so he wouldn't seem like a freak and awaited her response.

"I'm Kaya, nice to meet you, Hideo."


	8. Chapter 8

Yuki walked down the street, his jacket covering his face, as usual. He'd been in this world long enough to discover which way to go and which way not to go, but ,at this point, he _had_ to go down the street which was known for danger. He was fine though, he wore a stone cold expression and he held nothing aside from his cell phone. The more he walked down the street, the more raggedy the buildings became and how more people littered the streets than cars. The cars were old, fumes entering his nose each time one passed. He did something that would scare his old self, he searched eagerly down each alley _looking_ for the people that plagued society.

After the eleventh alley, he slammed his fist against the poor brick building. "These people sure do know how to hide," he muttered, "You bunch of wimps!" He yelled down the alley. He was wasting time, he had to get rid of second. Not only that, there were still others in the game. That model and the small kid joined him in this game. He wondered what second had planned for them, or was he like Yuki and only looking for the major player to get out first. He wondered for a minute, bringing out his phone and remembering the name Aya Sato, and looked the model up.

Dear gods, this woman was _famous_. She was beautiful, even he had to admit. Her long red hair was a flaming beauty and it challenged you to defy it. It was strange for hair to say that, but ,you know, hers did. He moved down to her eyes, which was a complete foil to her hair. They were a peaceful green that lured you in like luscious grassy field on a warm day. Quiet frankly, they were a beauty just as her hair was. By looks definition, she was the perfect woman. Yet, he could not get her nagging voice out of his head. That woman could not win this game, otherwise the Third World would become the Aya World. Literally.

He went to her official website, looking at days where she would be in or near this town. Signings or concerts, wherever he was sure she would be. He would obliterate her if it meant saving Yuno, the baby, and Hideo. He had Ninth on his side, she would be easy taking out. He searched then a cruel smile appeared on his face.

"Looks like I'll be seeing you in about 18 hours, Ms. Sato, don't be late."

The moon shined on him, making him an easy target to anybody watching. That was the thing, who, if anybody, was watching?

The figure turned away, laughing silently at what was to happen.

* * *

"And then, and then _milk_ flew out his nose!" Hideo roared with laughter as he was siting next to Kaya. She was laughing along with him, her eyes closed in the pure bliss of the moment. Hideo stopped for a second to look at her. Her black hair fell onto her shoulders and continued until about her stomach, it looked like a glossy black waterfall. Not something sickly as oil, but as beautiful as what a black rose would look like. Shiny and gorgeous, even with the thorns, it invited you in. The thing was, that you accepted the invitation.

She stopped awhile after Hideo had stopped laughing and she opened her eyes. There it was, the green crystals that were her eyes. He felt his heart skip a beat, he had always been a little mature for his age but this? Is this what a crush was? It probably was because each time he looked at her, he pretty much felt his body fold under her beauty.

She then coughed, not the cough that was meant to capture his attention but a real, sickly cough. He had known she was sick but he had no idea with what. It was too soon to ask, wasn't it? He'd known her for less than a day. Any person would have the curiosity, but he wanted to prove himself. That he wasn't just any person.

When she finished her fit, she opened her eyes weakly and they looked glossy from the tears that somewhat formed. He felt sorry for this girl, but did not pity her. It sounded weird, but he felt that she would survive he just didn't want her to go through this. This was what adversity was, she had to go through with it and she would change for the better. He gave her a smile, which she happily returned after she rubbed the water from her eyes.

He did have one question to ask.

"Kaya, where are your mom and dad?" Hideo asked cautiously. He had been with her a majority of the day and the only people that ever walked in was the doctor and nurses. Not once did he see or hear of her parent's presence.

Her smile faded slightly, she looked sad but still strong. She turned her head away from him and looked out the window, as though expecting something to be there. Like she wished for something to be there.

"You know, forget I asked-"

She turned her head back to him, "No, it's okay." She turned her head back to the window. Hideo rose out of his seat to see if there was something he could look at too. Through the street lights, he saw the hospital's parking lot. It was the far end of the parking lot, it looked new which signaled it was hardly used.

Hideo finally had the courage to ask, "What are you looking at?"

Kaya, still looking out the window, sighed, "Whenever my dad comes, he parks right down there, so I can see him."

The kind of made Hideo mad, so the rest of the time, when the dad wasn't here, he made his daughter stare at an empty parking space. Hideo then remembered that she only mentioned her father and not the mother. He bit his tongue so he could talk a little bit more about her dad.

"When does your dad come?" Hideo found himself saying.

Kaya finally looked back at him, "Usually he tells me when he'll come back, and he's never missed a promised date," she said proudly.

Hideo was glad at that, but underneath that statement laid some sadness.

"When's the next time he is coming?" Hideo asked, "I want to meet him."

Kaya looked down at her hands, then to the flowers that were tucked into a vase of water that sat next to her.

"I don't know." She finally said.

Hideo sat there, unable to help this frail girl. He never missed a date, but how can you miss something that was never planned?

Kaya looked at Hideo's silent thinking before adding, "He told me that he's been really busy lately," she held up a wire that was connected to her chest, "all of this really adds up."

Hideo quickly bounced his head up, she was just as mature as he was. Maybe even more so.

She looked up and quietly said, "I can't blame him, he's the reason I'm alive. It would just be nice if I could see him more."

Hideo looked at the girl, noticing the small water droplets that races down her face. She was strong, this girl, but she had been strong for too long. He got up and walked over to her bed, slowly approaching to not startle her but fast enough that he couldn't back out. He knew what she needed. He heard her sniffle and thats when he he took her hand in his.

Kaya looked over, the tears stopping but still staining her face. Hideo braced himself for the rejection that was about to occur. He closed his eyes, expecting his hand to drop from hers. In the darkness of his eyes, he felt a tug. He noticed a clutch coming from his hand, then opened his eyes. Sure enough, there it was, her hand was attached to his. Hideo figured that he was okay to do something else. He raised his other hand and lifted her chin so they were sure to see the other. He had seen this only in corny movies, but he was sure that it was perfect right now. With that hand, he wiped the lingering tears from her eyes then smoothed her hair. It was soft to the touch. Her hair felt like those oversized teddy bears for Valentines, but softer.

"Everything will be okay, you'll be okay."

* * *

Yuno opened her eyes, she was drowsy but after many tests and drugs she had the right to be. The first thing she checked on was the baby. She placed a hand on her pudgy belly and rubbed in circles, happy to feel a welcoming kick.

"I'm glad you're okay, baby..." Yuno whispered to the belly. Again, she felt a tiny kick. It wasn't uncomfortable but it was more of a reply.

_I'm glad you're okay too, mommy._

Yuno smiled and continued to rub, the baby had rested but she was sure that the baby enjoyed the affection.

"You look so at peace," a voice said from across the room. Yuno shot her head up, she thought she was the only one in the room. She expected the worse, but sighed in relief when it was only Minene.

"You startled me for a second," Yuno admitted sheepishly. She looked back down to her belly and patted it before looking back up to Minene. "How's Yuki?"

Minene sat in the chair against the corner so she had a clear view of the door and Yuno at the same time. Her purple hair was smooth and her outfit was changed from when Yuno last saw her. The ex-terrorist simply shrugged at Yuno.

"Hideo isn't here so it means that I can be real," Minene began, she opened her eyes even more so she would alert Yuno to the seriousness that was about to occur, "he's just as he should be, a father. He's been taking the evenings to look around the city for any clues and that's when I come here, to check on you. I've been going home during the day to spend time with my family, Nishijima knows about the problem now so he's keeping up the home front."

Yuno had this sink in for a minute. The murderer hadn't been caught. The man that murdered her babies was in this city, lurking and waiting at the chance to strike again.

"Akira...Haruo..." Yuno whispered sadly. Immediate tears streaking her face. They had been pushed off this Earth at the wrong time, the wrong age, the wrong way. She expected great things from them, she wanted them to grow, to win awards for excellence, to at least graduate college. She wanted them to have a loving family and, when the time came, children of their own.

Minene heard the names spoken and cringed. None of them had the time to mourn, they didn't even have the time for a proper burial. They had to get Yuno to the hospital... Their bodies were taken by the police. They tried to discuss the burial but Yuno was out of it and Yuki was always out. Minene had the choice, to cremate or the burial. She said it before, they didn't have time for the burial.

The urns were placed in Minene's house in the meantime, she thought that Yuno would explode with emotions if she saw them in this room with her. The last thing Yuno needed was stress, but here she was debriefing her on the situation.

"Nishijima is looking up every file and every face that matches our description of the guy. He's the head of the StalKings, so it'll be tough to find a file or a rat."

"You still haven't answered my question," Yuno brought up casually.

Minene knew that was coming from a mile away but she hadn't found the proper way to explain it. Then again, nothing was proper about this.

"He's obsessed, Yuno. Every waking moment he is either here or outside in the worst part of town. I don't think I've even seen him get a wink of sleep. Hideo has been off in the hospital, he mentioned he made a friend so he's fine for now." Minene admitted fully. Yuno had the right to know about Yuki, but she couldn't afford the worry. She was Hideo's mom and it wasn't like he was in trouble, so she easily explained that.

They each sat in silence, everyone was caught up and the situation didn't look any better. It seemed just as grim as before, maybe even worse.

The door then proceeded to slam against the wall with an ear-shattering smack.

"I FOUND HER!" A man yelled throughout the room. Minene stood up faster than you could watch and Yuno had her arms and legs attempting to protect her stomach.

Yuki stammered into the room, his blue eyes wide and bloodshot. His hair was chopped and rough. He definitely looked insane.

"Yuki! Calm down!" Minene hushed, noticing the doctors and nurses that stood behind them. She quickly took him by the arm and sat him in a chair, nodding to the nurses that she would handle this. She looked over to the sitting Yuki, who was waiting for his chance to speak.

"Now, what?" Minene hissed.

Yuki suddenly stood up, "That model/singer whore is coming into town tomorrow, at 2 p.m." he said excitedly.

Minene resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "Language, Yuki, you have a pregnant wife sitting less than 3 feet away. Now, as for Aya, what's your plan?"

"Well, she performing at the biggest center in town, I'd figure the escapist could find us a sneaky way in and out."

Minene didn't really know how to take that comment, but now wasn't the time to bicker yet she granted herself the eye roll. "Fine, but you're gonna have to keep up. You think any of the others are gonna show?"

Yuki grinned showed even more, "Don't you think that's what I've been expecting?"

* * *

**OHHHH DANG. Yuki has something up his sleeve, does he? Sorry for the forever and a half update but my God, life sure does get busy. I wouldn't even had updated if it weren't for me staying home from school today. Yay for viruses! Well, see you all next time and don't forget to leave those easy to do reviews. Thanks in advance!**


	9. Chapter 9

Yuno laid in her bed, comforting the baby that she held inside of her. She smiled that she, the baby, would be here soon. That her hard work and her sacrifices would finally payoff. She needed that. She needed good news to finally counter the bad. It was sad that these white walls were becoming like home to her. She needed out soon, but she knew that they wouldn't be safe.

Not until the game was over.

She wished she could help, but she was pregnant. She had lost 2 of her babies. Her heart was torn in so many different directions that it plagued her how she could even be so calm.

Yuki promised her that he would kill everybody. Yuki was never one to break his word, no matter what world he was in. Ninth had told her about the past. How this was the Third World. How the past two worlds had been destroyed because of First Yuno. It was kind of amazing to hear, which she scolded herself for thinking.

"How is Yuki doing?" Yuno asked Ninth.

Ninth was sitting down in the chair, watching her phone. Yuno knew she was watching the time, waiting to send the order, yet she was still compelled to ask. Ninth raised her eyebrows but humored Yuno.

"He's fine, he's waiting for my signal," Ninth said in a casual tone. She was getting no blood on her hands tonight. Even if she wanted, Yuki wouldn't have allowed her to leave Yuno. He was a good husband, despite not being her real husband.

"How's Hideo?"

Ninth, without batting an eye, "He's fine, playing with his little friend. Nothing is going to happen in this hospital."

"I know, just nerves."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," Yuno responded. She propped herself up to face Ninth.

"How do you do this?"

Yuno took a second to let that sink in. "Well, it's not like I have a choice. I have a son and a daughter to think about."

Minene smiled, "Baby girl, huh?"

Yuno nodded, she hadn't told anybody the sex but she figured that Ninth had a right. She was a mother as well.

"You think he can do this?" Yuno asked

Minene looked out the window. She picked up her phone again, typing in a message. She knew it wouldn't be read anyway. She clicked send.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough, now won't we?"

* * *

Yuki waited, using his leg propping himself against the wall, casually looking down at his phone with a smug smile on his face. They had reviewed the plan several times at this point but now was the time to act, to finally put his name in the game. He figured that Second would be here, but Fifth probably wouldn't. He wasn't too worried, as long as he could get these two birds, he could easily find the kid. People walked past him, smiling from ear to ear at the event they would always remember. This made Yuki smile, he would ensure it to be memorable, alright.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, he started to walk, not even bothering to check it, as he knew what it said. The crowd trampled to the stadium to find their seats while Yuki slid past them, moving slyly. It was strange the kind of camo people could give. This was why kids went missing, too many things just went on. A part of that made him sad, but the other part made him sure this plan would work.

He leisurely strolled past, earning him a couple of frowns as he was headed the opposite way than what he should have. This gave him some time to scout the area, watching as the unalert cops stood at their ordered stations. He imagined it would be harder, but no, Ninth was right. This was only level one and it would progressively get harder, but for now he enjoyed it.

Yuki watched as some cops leaned into one another, whispering lowly into each other's ear while eyeing Yuki. Yuki didn't care, with a thought he caused a lightbulb to pop, earning some screams and plenty of confusion to cover him again. He snuck into the bathroom, using another thought to forcefully lock the door behind him. The bathrooms were white and bland, and also, luckily, quiet. He was sure he was alone. That made things easier.

Yuki looked into the mirror, turning the handle of the sink and gathered water in his hand. It leaked through his fingers and small streams flowed down his arms. He dropped the water into the sink and used his wet hands to pat down his hair, slicking it back and cooling him. He then reached a hand into his pocket, pulling out a discrete, black mask. He looked up, making sure the vent was above him.

He felt the cool air hit his face, and the hair on his head chill somewhat. A grin appeared on his face.

Quickly, with another thought, the top opened and he was lifted. This was one of the times he was 15 again, he was a lot smaller then than what he was now. Still, he pushed himself through the vents, his elbows slithering himself around. It wasn't comfortable, but it was necessary.

"Where are you...where are you..." he murmured to himself. looking down into the rooms that he so happened to pass over. He had studied the blueprints of the place all last night, he knew where to go, he was just hoping to get there sooner.

Finally, he reached his destination. He smirked to himself and tried to calm his heartbeat. He listened closely and nothing was to be heard other than the vibrations of the stadium.

"It's amazing how well she predicted this," Yuki sighed happily. He lifted the vent out of its place and jumped down the hole. He looked up, using his mind to secure the vent piece back in place.

"Nobody needs to find out that's someone is here, now do they," Yuki said as soon as it clicked into place.

He looked around the huge room. It was the dressing room of none other than Aya. It was decorated with lavish colors and comforts were placed anywhere they could fit. It was ridiculous how spoiled this woman was for her visit of a day. He stepped and looked at himself in the mirror, he knew he was a tall, lean man. None of his hair peaked out of his mask but his blue eyes pierced himself. His thick jacket covered most of his body, making him look buffer than he really was. After tonight, he was sure he would need that description of a strong man. Nobody would think to blame the Video Game Designer. Yuki's family had been in the news lately, the famous Yukiteru losing his 2 youngest children, almost losing his pregnant wife. Whenever he went out, he got the deepest of meaningful apologies. He also noticed how his bank account grew bigger and bigger with each visit. His new fame made him money, money that hadn't been touched.

"This is what being famous is like," he mussed one day.

He looked around, determined to find a hiding space until the right moment. He was going to do this right, and he was going to do it today.

Eventually, after much rummaging, he found a tiny closet that had a view of the mirror, he had the whole room in that one spot. There wasn't anything in there, most of the clothes that would be used were already out on a rack. He supposed he would be safe.

Then he waited.

In the silence, he thought. He was winning. There was no way he could ruin this. The minute she would be left alone, he would splatter her like a bug on the windshield. He would win this game, no matter the cost. He would do anything to ensure Yuno and Hideo's safety. He would do this, he would.

Then, he heard the jumbling of the doorknob. She was coming in. The people out there were lucky, they had just seen her last performance. He heard the door open, some words being said, and the door closed. He peaked his closet door opened.

He smiled as he saw her.

She was sitting in front of the mirror, her hair and face were perfectly covered to enhance her beauty. Her red hair curled around her shoulder and down her back. Her outfit laced down her outstanding body. She was every man's dream. But Yuki was different, he had Yuno. Yuno needed him and that meant that this girl would have to die.

He was about to step out when he saw her turn. For a moment, he thought that she saw him, but that was impossible. The sliver of the door that was open was even hard for him to look out of. It would be near impossible for her to see him. He watched more and realized that she was staring at her phone.

"How can I fix you..." She said to herself. Yuki wondered what her diary was in that moment. More than likely, it was her phone. In this age, everything was based on technology. He wondered what she was referring to on the phone though.

"Dead...End..." She said aloud.

Yuki stiffened. He remember when he had one of those, it almost scared him to death before anybody had even attempted it. So, fate had already predicted her demise and yet she still went through with the concert. That was dedication.

"It's nothing good," he muttered in his low breath. It was nothing she could possibly hear but he still cursed himself about it. He realized that Deus never explained the Dead End and since Deus was missing, nobody knew besides him. Though it didn't take much brain power to figure out what it meant, she was still perplexed on why. Why it would have to happen.

He watched as she bent over, rummaging into a nearby bag. The bag wasn't large and it wasn't one of those expensive ones. It looked like it had belonged to a little girl.

After some touching around, she gripped something and pulled it out. She placed her phone down and used both hands to grip the...photo?

Yuki heard soft sobbing, but it still tugged at his heart. He was supposed to kill this woman in cold blood, and here he was listening to her sorrow?

"I'm so sorry, baby..." Aya said softly, her words ripping apart Yuki's heart. Something awful had happened to this woman, but what? She laid her head down onto her arm, she still held the photo with one arm while the other supported her head.

"Kaya, sweetie, I'm so sorry..."

Who was Kaya?

Yuki stood there, more intrigued by this woman than anything else at the moment. He watched as she cried, these were true feelings. Whatever happened to this "Kaya", the woman felt sorry for. Yuki researched extensively on this woman, it said nothing about Kaya, whoever she was.

Maybe it wouldn't hurt Yuki to find out.

He placed a hand on the knob, then he heard something else.

"Ryo, my sweet, what happened to us?"

So, this woman was broken. She had a family, she was a mother. Yet, online she was known as single. She was known as a young, talented superstar that had a bright future and, when the time was right, a family. This woman somehow had hidden her family. Apparently, it was by pretending they didn't exist. But here she was, alone and filled with sadness. The void in her heart was never filled, her family had been ripped out of her life. For what? He guessed fame.

Yuki figured that she had no plans to return, quite possibly the family had moved on. He would be doing the world a favor, getting rid of this woman who left her family to expose herself. He couldn't help but to remember his mother. She was gone for months on end, but, each time she came back, she had a smile on her face. He knew she loved him, and he knew that he loved her back. He would never know what to do if his mother had never come back, but he was affected when she died. His own father... In this case, the mother had already left. Kaya still had a father, Yuki guessed. She still had her father.

Yuki placed his hand on the doorknob and opened it.

* * *

**I'm extremely sorry for the short chapter, but I want to get some hype on this story before continuing. I've realized more people have been getting into it and, what can I say, I love to torture you guys. Your anticapation encourages me to write and you know what else encourages me? Reviews. So please, if you want to know the whole story, leave a review. Maybe you'll get the next chapter earlier than you think. **

**Until next time,**

**Cryptic**


	10. Chapter 10

Ryo looked down at his phone, a scowl apparent on his dark face, "So, she's in town, always and only for an appearance," he muttered. His phone glowed in the dark of his room, highlighting his face and nothing else. Anybody else would think he were a head floating, all his boys would know better than to bother him at this point.

Ryo was aware of Aya's tour, but now that it was here, he was angry. He remembered everything that happened between them , every word, every touch, every kiss, and the child that was brought to this Earth from them. Aya was an extraordinarily beautiful woman, even in his school he fought to remind others that she was his and only his. Good luck that did him.

He squinted his eyes, remembering the day it had happened.

* * *

_Ryo walked down the crowded street, a smile happily apparent on his tough face. He was a clean cut man, with short black hair and a shaven face. His figure was in shape, but nothing that would prove that he had massive muscles. He looked next to him, to the woman currently squeezing his hand, and smiled even more. _

_Aya turned to him, noticing his sudden attention to her, and smiled, "Haha, why are you staring at me?"_

"_Because you are the most perfect and gorgeous woman in the world."_

_Aya blushed deeply, pulling closer next to him, "I'm the luckiest girl in the world," she said, getting up on her toes and giving him a kiss. _

_Ryo stopped walking, allowing for the kiss to become even more surreal. He placed arms around her back, pulling her closer though something big was poking him back. _

_Ryo backed away softly, Aya and him joining in light laughter. He placed a hand on her bulging belly_, rubbing it comfortingly and slightly bending down.

"_You sure do make things hard for your mom and me, but I have a feeling you're worth it," he said cheerfully. _

_Aya placed her small hands on top of his, "She definitely is."_

_Ryo raised an eyebrow, "I'm telling you, I think it's a boy, honey."_

"_And I'm telling you there is a difference between thinking and knowing, sweetie."_

_As they walked, the couple's hands perfectly matched each other like puzzle pieces. The sun was beaming and little droplets of sweat appeared on the top of the couple's heads. They turned to the right, still gripping to one another. As they walked past, some people focused on the beautiful woman and successful looking man strolling past them, looking nearly perfect. _

_Once they reached an empty park bench that was in front of the running fountain, Ryo sat Aya down and ensured her comfort. _

"_I'm fine, really," Aya said, though enjoying her husband's kindness. He was always so thoughtful. _

"_If you say so, I'm gonna run and get us some waters, you want anything else?" Ryo asked, backing away and bending down to meet Aya. _

"_Anything sweet and fattening, I'm so in the mood for that right now."_

_Ryo playfully rolled his eyes, "You sure are enjoying this whole pregnancy thing, huh?"_

_Aya blinked, showing a smile, "I have a being that you placed into me and ,soon, I will be in immense pain that will shake our entire lives. I have to milk it every chance I get, baby."_

"_Sure, sure," he said, rising a little to be inches away from her face," I'll be back," he said as he placed a a small peck on her nose. Then he rose, walking away while bringing out his wallet. _

_Aya watched Ryo walk away before becoming distracting by the gleaming water splashing about in front of her. She watched it, moving to every drop and looking like the it was the most refreshing thing in the world. She carefully watched, rubbing her belly to the flow of the small waves. _

"_Soon..." she cooed._

_That's when she heard the obnoxious wolf whistling that she had grown accustomed to growing up, she rolled her eyes and ignored the behavior. She hoped she heard wrong and it was to someone else, so she moved her head slightly, looking closely to the corner of her eye. Sure enough, she noticed an average height man. _

_Don't come over here, she pleaded, I'm married. _

_Quickly she extended her left hand onto the bench next to her, stretching her nimble fingers. She didn't want to risk being caught, but her curiosity overwhelmed her. She turned her head again, watching the man through the corner of her eye. He was standing only feet away and his line of sight was directly at her._

_Hurry up, Ryo, hurry up. _

_The man nodded to himself then pulled a phone from his ear. Aya realized that he was only talking on the phone, not checking her out. She closed her eyes and sighed, happy to not be his interest. _

"_Excuse me, miss?"_

_Damnit, I spoke too soon. _

_Aya turned her head to the voice out of habit, "Yes, sir, may I help you?"_

_Now that she had a closer look, the man was extremely handsome. He had these features that were... indescribable, they were so exact and full. He had a toned body, which made one wonder what he had underneath his shirt. _

_The man took off his sunglasses, revealing two of the most beautiful crystal blue eyes she had ever seen, "Yes, I was just wondering if you were aware of how beautiful you were?"_

_And this was how it was going to go..._

"_Don't-"_

"_Oh, dear, excuse me I was just aware of how much that sounded like a pick up line," he laughed to himself before continuing, "Anyway, I'm Hikaru Yamada, I'm an executive for Perfection Modeling, are you familiar?"_

_Aya swore she felt her stomach drop to her feet, "Y-y-you're Hikaru... Yamada...?"_

_He smiled, "So you are familiar."_

_Aya nodded slowly, unsure of whether to trust her voice. This man was a legend and gatekeeper to the world of success as a model. He was known by every girl and here he was speaking to her!_

"_Well, in my line of work, I always need new faces to advertise and when I saw you, I knew I had to have you. I mean look at this hair! Is it natural? Your cheekbones are simply delightful and your eyes, don't even get me started!" The man went on, pointing to her features as if Aya could also see them._

"_Thank...you?"_

_The man laughed a hearty laugh, "I really need you, uh...what's your name?"_

"_Aya"_

"_Well Aya," Hikaru said, slowly bringing out a small, firm card from his pocket, "I would like to arrange something with you some time. One condition, you have to be done with your pregnancy, which shouldn't be too far. Call me a few months from now, trust me, I'll remember you."_

_Hikaru turned walking away, leaving a star-struck Aya almost out of breath, "Oh, and by the way, Aya," he said cooly turning his head, "Congratulations."_

_With that, he placed his sunglasses back on and disappeared into the crowd. Aya held the small, decorative card in her hand, unsure of what to do._

"_I'm back, babe," she heard a voice say from her left side, "What do you got there?"_

_Suddenly it all sunk in and Aya smiled bigger than Ryo had ever seen," Ryo, do I have news for you..."_

* * *

Ryo walked into the cold autumn day, taking no notice of anybody staring at him. He was nothing but a former shadow of his happy self. His bangs hovered and bounced above his soulless gray eyes as he walked, keeping a view of directly in front of him.

The day seemed somewhat cruel, the crisp air was curt as it ruthlessly blew his jacket and hair backwards and slightly making his eyes watery. Then again, he was also thinking about Aya. Still, he swore to himself that the wind was causing it. Aya was practically dead to him and she hadn't seen Kya since she was 8 months. Of course, she gave Ryo half her paycheck back then, even when she left, but that had stopped when she started getting more recognition.

"You ruined us," he whispered angrily under his breath. He looked at his phone as he walked into the stadium, "Now it's time for a little payback."

"W-who are you?!" Aya nearly screamed as she saw a strange looking man open the door behind her. He had a certain cruelty on his body language that reminded her of Ryo, since he was wearing a mask, she couldn't make out his face. From the distance they were standing, his eyes were clearly colored, to her it looked like gray.

"...Ryo?" She guessed after he just seemed to stare at her, his fists clenched.

He shook his head from side to side once, not ever taking those ruthless eyes off of her. She wondered, if she screamed, if anybody would hear her. Her management knew never to bother her after a performance, but she hoped that this one time, somebody would barge in uninvited.

Aya had dazzling beauty, but she also had brains. Her mind was complex and she analyzed nearly everything in sight in just a matter of seconds. She had graduated as Number 4 in her high school class, which was respectable anywhere you went.

"Who are you then?" She asked, keeping her composure though panicking on the inside.

"Who is Ryo? And Kaya?"

The man was somewhat quiet, as if trying to mask his voice. He was only loud enough for her to hear, anybody standing an inch behind her wouldn't have caught what he said. He was being precise. She cursed herself, this man was no fool. With a voice like that, she could never pick him out from a lineup of men.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Aya said, denying the two people that she loved most in the world. Her heart tugged, pleading desperately to fill it's emptiness.

"I've been in there this entire time," he said softly, "don't bother lying."

Then, he moved his hand to his back pocket, Aya eyes nearly grew wide.

_He shouldn't have a gun, they check for those at every entrance..._

Instead of a gun, what he pulled out confused her.

"A dart? What's that for?"

"I don't hear you answering my questions."

She huffed, "I'm guessing you're not with the press then."

He shook his head grimly, keeping his harsh eyes on her whole body. She didn't feel like he wanted her, as most male fans fantasized about her, but he felt like he wanted to know her.

"Talk, before I end you."

She huffed, figuring what the Dead End was. She guessed that she might as well clear her conscious.

* * *

"_I want to do this!" Aya said, determined and holding up the card the Hikaru gave to her. _

"_You already talked to him, we have a baby, Aya, be reasonable!" Ryo said, rubbing his temples and hoping their conversation wouldn't wake Kaya, who was sleeping peacefully at the end of the bed. _

"_Think of all the opportunities! Don't you want Kaya to lead a great childhood? We'd be traveling and I'd be making money to support all of us!" Aya replied, her pitch in voice lessening and her eyes moving down then returning to meet his. _

"_What kind of question is that? Of course I want Kaya to be happy growing up, but I know what'll happen: You'll be too busy for us."_

_Aya's face started to frown and her face began to flush, "I'll be local, it's not like their going to force me to go anywhere. Models hardly ever make it big."_

"_Have you seen yourself? You're beyond beautiful and everybody will love you," he smiled and grabbed her hand, "but we need you with us."_

_Aya remained still, not pulling her hand back or acknowledging his, she looked down, "I want to do this..."_

"_You know what, do it," Ryo said, pulling his hand back, "you'll see what I mean._

_That next day, Aya walked to the corporate building. She arranged a meeting with Hikaru, and by no means was she going to miss it. She walked inside, it looked so professional and expensive that she felt herself walk straighter by instinct. She walked up to the secretary's desk with bursting confidence and a polite smile, showing she was somebody. _

"_I have a meeting with Hikaru Yamada," Aya said, her voice matching her attitude, strong. _

_The secretary lifted an eyebrow and stared up at her through her thin glasses. The woman was actually beautiful, showing Aya that everybody here had to be so. The lady's brown hair flowed straight down her shoulders and back and her hazel eyes watched Aya, judging. She casually smiled back at Aya._

"_Name?"_

"_Aya Sato."_

"_Okay, Miss, take a seat and I'll call you when Mr. Yamada is ready."_

_Aya nodded, turning and walking away, she hoped she didn't make a fool of herself. She settled herself down into a comfortable seat, reaching forward for the company magazine. The cover was of a blond babe, literally. She wore a black bikini that squeezed against her body, her hands on her head caressing herself while her hair was blown back. The surroundings was of the beach and, of course, there was hunky life guard smiling to her neck while his arms wrapped around her waist. It was a sensual picture and she knew shots like these, and worse, existed. She wondered how Ryo would take it, most of these people were single or dating each other. _

_Before she could continue, Aya heard her name said and she looked up, seeing the secretary's eyes go wide. She wondered what was going on, eyes going wide were a sign of shock but good or bad was to be figured out later. _

"_Miss Sato?"_

_Aya carefully placed the magazine back, and stood up slowly. She walked over and noticed that the secretary was also standing and she looked very rushed. Before Aya was halfway back, the woman was already standing in front of her._

"_I'm so sorry, Miss Sato, I had no idea you were a VIP guest," the woman said, nearly bowing at Aya. _

_Before Aya could speak, she was led by the woman to an elevator that looked so smooth you didn't even want to touch it. _

_She led Aya into it, leaning in to put in a special code, "He's floor 18, enjoy," the woman said, a smile large on her face. _

_The doors closed, leaving Aya alone to her thoughts. What happened in those 5 minutes, Aya wondered, that changed the secretary completely. What had Hikaru told her?_

_The doors beeped softly and opened as smooth as they looked, she walked out into an office. Her jaw almost reached the floor. The room was filled with lavish items but not too colorful. The whole floor was this man's office. There was a TV in the corner of the room along with a professional looking love seat with 3 reclinable black chairs._

"_Aya!" Hikaru appeared in front of the woman in a black suit and tie, looking like the best looking man in the world. His blue eyes filled with life, like a clear beach and his black hair was styled to the latest trend. He came up to her, taking her hand and kissing each of her cheeks. He smiled, "I hoped to hear from you sooner, but you're here now and that's all that matters."_

"_Uh, thank you, sir."_

_He gave her a charming look, "Please, just Hikaru."_

_She was taken aback by him, he was so... different._

"_I see you've lost the baby weight, you look even better from the day I met you in the park," Hikaru said, leading her to the more comfortable side of his office. _

"_Thank you, Hikaru, you look amazing yourself," Aya said politely._

"_Well, as much as I love having my day brightened up, I want to tell you why I came up to you that day, I'm just so excited to finally meet up with you!"_

_Aya nodded, maintaining her small smile, "Yes?"_

"_Aya, you're what I call a Natural. You are the rare type of woman that needs absolutely no kind of enhancement. You're visibly perfect to the human eye. That's why I want you to work here, at Perfection."_

_Aya was taken aback, he hadn't asked for a resume, she hadn't even applied. Hikaru Yamada simply walked up to her and basically gave her a job._

"_I want you to go places, show off yourself, and lead! You will be the biggest name of this place and all of your dreams will come true."_

"_I... I can't believe this, it's just... I don't know about this, my baby-"_

"_Don't worry, we have on the set nannies, he or she will be out of the camera's way. It will be you and only you."_

"_-and my husband are very important to me," Aya finished softer than she had began._

"_Wait, you're married?" Hikaru was taken aback, and he scooted away from Aya._

"_Is that a problem?" Aya said, almost defensively. She wondered if this was the right choice._

"_Aya, in this business, if you're beautiful you will have more fans if you're single. More money, more chances, and opportunities is what comes with this. You're more desirable if you're single simply because fans think they may be that lucky one. As a Natural, you catch the eye of everyone and if you're single," he paused, "you would be a riot."_

"_This is my family you're telling me to give up..."_

_Hikaru placed a hand gently on her lap, "Not give up, but you will be separated. He won't be allowed to go anywhere in public with you, neither will your child."_

"_I-I can't do that, I love them and they are everything to me." Aya said, looking down at the hand in her lap. _

"_Aya, in order to have it all, you need to sacrifice, just something to think about." With that, he stood, "Aya, I would love if you came here, you have so much potential. Please alert me of your decision as soon as you've decided."_

_Hikaru grabbed her hand, pulling her up to him. When Aya stood, he took a slight step forward, closing all distance and giving the charming smile. "I respect either choice you make."_

* * *

"_Aya, I don't know what to tell you," Ryo said when Aya finished her story. He found it horrifying that this man was tearing Aya in two pieces but wanted to keep the whole, but nice that Aya didn't sugarcoat. Though, it's hard to sugarcoat leaving your family. _

"_Honey, I love you," Aya purred, hugging Ryo as tightly as she could, "I can't imagine life without you or without her." She lifted her head away from his chest, looking at the baby sitting down happily playing with a dinosaur._

"_And I love you, babe," Ryo said, placing his lips on top of her head, giving a light, but loving, kiss. _

"_I don't think it's worth it, I love you both so much it makes my heart hurt," Aya strained, some tears at the corner of her eyes. What was she thinking? She couldn't possibly leave the people that made life worth living. _

_Aya placed a hand on Ryo's cheek, her hand giving him a comforting warmth. She backed away, giving a smile and turning to their child. With sure feet she walked over to Kaya, who noticed her mom._

"_Mammm," Kaya mumbled to the approaching woman. Little Kaya was beautiful, inheriting her daddy's dark hair and her mom's peaceful eyes. Aya had on idea how they were blessed enough to have such perfection. _

_Aya bent down to her daughter, smiling, "Hey, there baby-" she was caught off by something sitting in the corner of her vision. She turned head before finishing her sentence, because it bothered her, this thing. _

_It was a needle and surrounding it was little white crumbs. It looked like salt. It was hidden under the couch, a place she would never look because nobody ever brought mess to the couch. She crawled away from Kaya, who was confused but began to play with her toys again._

_She recognized it, her blood boiling, "Ryo, what is this?" She said, pulling out the needle. _

_She had never seen him so panicked than in that moment, "I-I-I-"_

"_Damnit, Ryo! You __**promised **__that you quit! You swore to me the day I found out I was pregnant! You did coke and a shot with Kaya in the same house? And hid your scum in a place easily reachable by her?!"_

"_I was scared, okay! I thought you were going to leave the us, I didn't do a lot, just enough to calm me. Plus, Kaya was napping!"_

"_Who came? Kenchi? Takao? You're boys aren't safe, Ryo, not when you have a family!"_

"_I'm sorry! I'm sorry, okay? Kaya and you are the most important people to me, I just didn't know what to do!" Ryo pleaded. noticing that Aya walked into their room. He nearly had a heart attack when he saw her grab a bag, "What are you doing?"_

"_I'm leaving, I'm going to take Kaya and we're leaving. She can't live being in danger, especially not by her own father." Aya huffed, grabbing clothes and stuffing it into her bag. She grab one of Kaya's smaller bags and placed her favorite blanker, toys, and clothes in it. As a model, she'd be able to easily replace these material items, for now she just had to grab what was necessary. _

_She felt her arm grabbed as she halted, "You're not leaving," he said firmly and coldly. _

"_To hell I'm not," she hissed, pulling her arm away. _

_Ryo turned his head down, no longer speaking, but following her everywhere she went. By the time she finished 2 minutes later, she had grown tired of the game. She marched back toward Kaya, who was cluelessly talking to herself, and picked her up. _

_Without another word, she walked out of the apartment, wheeling the luggage and leaving Ryo alone on the couch. He picked up his phone, writing everything he knew about where she was going, then went to his contacts. Skipping over Aya, he went to Kenchi. _

_It rang a few times before a husky voice answered, "Ken? She found it, and I'm now suddenly wanting to get back into the game."_

_Aya frantically placed everything in the car, picking up her phone and memorizing the schedule she had and canceling everything involving her. She went into her own contacts, typing in the name she needed. _

_It was answered by the first ring. _

"_Aya, babe! Have you made a decision?" Hikaru said excitedly from the phone. _

_Aya sighed, looking toward the backseat where Kaya sat confused. _

_She did her best to pick up her voice, "Where do I sign?"_

_In the backseat, Kaya began to cry. _

* * *

"Eventually, after he proved he was clean, I allowed him to... keep Kaya." Aya sighed. The man listened intently and not once interrupted. It was strange, but comforting at the same time.

He looked down and took a step closer, his dart in his hand not even paid attention to.

"So, you have any regrets?" The man asked, his true voice, for once, becoming known.

Aya was too shocked by the question more than anything, she figured out a long time ago what the Dead End meant. This man was basically a Grim Reaper, here to take what was never hers.

"I haven't seen Kaya since she was 2," the woman said sadly. Looking down, hardly even speaking to the man anymore.

Yuki was now at a crossroads, let the woman live to maybe act for the better or kill her and be done with it.

Yuki brought his hand to rub his temples, he was supposed to be ruthless, not a wimp.

Finally, without warning, he stomped up to the woman, grabbing her wrist. Aya nearly screamed but his other hand covered her mouth quicker than her sound traveled.

"You're coming with me," Yuki whispered.

Aya then saw nothing except for his blue eyes before everything bursted into black.


	11. Chapter 11

Ryo stalked through the stadium, his head down and fists in his pockets. He was here to do what Aya deserved, an immediate death. He wouldn't be cruel, he wouldn't put her through the torture that she no doubt deserved. Well, not physical torture anyway. He'd remind her of all her responsibilities that she avoided over the years. He'd guilt her until her heart wretched with every mere thought of herself and the monster she was.

She was a monster, he wasn't allowed to see Kaya until she was 2 after Aya took her away and she had since abandoned her. When he was without his daughter, he had never felt so low, so empty but somehow her mother could go almost a decade with as much as a single call. When Kaya asked for a poster of the famous Aya, he nearly screamed no. She'd been raised with no memory of her mother, no pictures or explanations just an empty parent slot. He had always wondered, though, how Kaya would react to the fact that her mother was Aya, the near perfect being on this earth. Not to mention rich. That would erase all the hospital bills that took Ryo years to think of a way to pay off.

He turned to the drug industry, his strong face and body made nobody want to purposely cross him. Even as a newbie, he was known as the guy that could make you buy everything he had at top dollar simply because of his appearance. Eventually, drugs turned to an all out gang. He had become the leader and, with his sneaky background, he created the StalKings. It didn't end there though, with the creation there was levels. He ran whore houses, meth labs, and stole. Not always personally though, he had low levels do the illegal things, mid levels created the drugs, and those he trusted ran the girls. Reason being, people could steal from the whores, it wasn't difficult, so he had to be sure that he wasn't being cheated. Of course, he and his boys just about got every discount on the block. He remembered the countless nights that he had spent there, with how ever many he wanted. It was a painkiller, to let out everything and dull his past. With that, he earned enough money to support himself and Kaya. To hell with Aya.

Except now, he was on a tight rope. Every cop in town wanted to catch the leader of the StalKings. One funny look, one loose screw and he'd be behind bars and Kaya alone.

He gritted his teeth, "You couldn't just stick with your family."

He walked around, trying to remember the layout, when he heard an uproar from the stadium area. "Damnit," he muttered, "she's already out." He walked over to the entrance, the lights off but electronic signs lit up nearly every corner. Once in, he realized that the spotlights on stage pointed to nothing and the roars were from a furious audience not receiving what they paid for. They screamed about her being over an hour late, some started picking up their belongings, convinced there would be no show.

"Strange," Ryo mumbled to himself, "Aya is never one to be late. Especially for a concert." Even if they weren't together, he still knew everything about that woman. As long as he had known her, she had never been late without a excuse. The longest he had ever waited for her was about seven minutes but that was because the traffic in town that day was beyond terrible to a major accident. That was forgiven easily enough. The fact that she wasn't on stage preforming though bothered him. Where was she?

People began to get up and grumble about a partial refund. So, she had been out she just never came back on. Something happened in the timeframe of her break that caused her to not walk back on stage. A small group of people left their seats vacant, carrying their bags close to their chest, Ryo figured he'd confirm his suspicions. As the group passed them, he quickly grabbed one of the woman's arms.

"Excuse me?" Ryo asked as kindly as he could, he realized too late that grabbing wasn't the most friendly way to ask a question. Luckily, she didn't respond as some people would.

"Yes?" Her manners were impeccable.

"Do you have any idea where Aya is?"

She sighed but collected herself, "Management came out and said that she'll be out soon. That was over a half hour ago though, there's no indication she'll be coming out soon either. There isn't much point in waiting."

Ryo thought about it, so they said she would come out but she hadn't? No, it was much deeper than that.

"Thank you, ma'am."

With that, Ryo walked away to the now empty seats. He plopped himself down and stretched, trying to get his blood flowing. Quickly, he grabbed for his cell phone that laid in his pocket, undisturbed. He navigated his way to the schedule to see just exactly was going on. He saw nothing of importance, just drug deals and potential snitches. He'd text his guys later. There was still no hint as to who Fifth was either. It seemed strange that Fifth hadn't even been spotted once by his Stalker diary. It tracked where people would be based on the viewings of his boy. Nine out of ten times, it was correct. Still, no a single person had seen or heard and it was strange. He pushed the thought to the back of his head, still scrolling. As he was about to close the thing, he saw a little tab blink, catching his eye. He was still in the schedule but on top was a separate tab labeled "Important". Curious as to what it could be, he tapped it.

His eyes widened and he cursed aloud, "Shit!"

Quickly, he got up and tried not to look suspicious as he jogged out of the stadium. Once out of immediate sight, he ran as fast as he could to his car. Nearly jumping in, he started the car and began to drive away, his heart pounding against his throat. He didn't want to believe it, it couldn't _happen_. But the odds were against him. That's why he started speeding toward the hospital, fearing that the phone was correct.

In less than 30 minutes, Aya would meet Kaya. From where he was, it'd be awhile before he'd make it. Especially now that people were getting off from work. He gritted his teeth, "Don't you dare touch my daughter."

* * *

"So, who is your idol?"

"Um... I'd have to say my dad. He's shown me so much recently and, well, he's my dad." Hideo said, rubbing his head. He didn't like that question, it had been asked every year at school and every year he didn't have an answer. Up until now, he had no idol.

Kaya laughed a little, "You say that so generically, it's cute."

Hideo looked down, trying to hide his small blush, "Yeah, well, who is your idol?"

Kaya straightened out, "I'd have to say my dad as well."

"Why?"

"He's the only one that's been here for me. My mom isn't here and he doesn't like talking to my grandpop and grandma."

Hideo nearly bit his lip, "You really don't have any family aside from him?"

She shook her head, "I always wanted a little brother or sister. I don't know, just somebody to talk to, y'know?"

Of course he knew, he had a brother and sister. His head stung from that harsh memory. He _had_ a brother and sister. The last he saw them, his sister's head was near off and his brother had looked like he erupted from the inside out. He would've ended up just like them had his dad and aunt not saved him. He would protect his new baby sibling with everything he had now, he couldn't stand being in so much grief ever again. He could only imagine how his parents felt.

"Have you ever wanted a sibling?" Kaya asked, bring Hideo back to reality from the darkness of his thoughts.

He swallowed, "Um, I have... had... a brother and sister. Then, my mom is expecting another." He had said it so quietly, it was a near whisper. Still, Kaya had excellent hearing, she caught every word.

"Hideo... If you don't mind, what do you mean you... _had_ a brother and sister?"

He looked down and placed his hands together, "Hah... That's why we're in the hospital. My siblings were killed by some gang, myself almost included. My mom was stabbed, so that's why we're still here. The baby is okay though."

He brought up his eyes, still leaving his face looking down, and glanced at Kaya, "Sorry, that's a little dark."

She snapped to meet his eyes, "No, no, I'm fine. I just... wasn't expecting that, I guess."

"It's okay, not many people would."

"Are you okay?"

That question had been asked countless times since they had been staying here. It was custom now to hear it at least twice every waking hour. He'd gotten to the point where he would just walk into a room smiling and talking about being happy. He was tired of the grim faces and bad news, the fact that he made a friend was enough to satisfy his family. His mom couldn't walk much but his Aunt Minene met Kaya, she seemed to have a liking toward her but didn't mention it to Hideo later that day. They were just happy he wasn't being a shut in.

He smiled, "I'm fine."

She brought forward her hand to meet his face, with little force she made him look into her eyes, "Y'know, you can lie to your family but not me."

A little nervous, Hideo stuttered, "W-what do you mean?"

"You're hurting."

"How would you know that, missy?" He said it a little too harsh, he was about to apologize when she began to shake her head at him. She had already forgiven him.

"Your hair saves you for the most part, but I see past that."

"Past what?"

"Your barrier. Your voice can be your greatest asset but your eyes are your greatest traitors."

He shrugged, "Okay, so I'm sad my brother and sister were killed. Who wouldn't be? But I'm not letting that hold me back."

"Yes, you are."

She had said it so surely, so calmly. He was almost propelled to believe her. Yet, his hard head prevented him from believing her at this point.

He looked up and opened his mouth, Kaya quickly placed a finger in front of his open lips. He was forced to shut his mouth, he wasn't going to talk back. He'd talk when the time was right and convince her just as he convinced his family. He knew how he felt, she had just learned about this, there was no way she could just pick up on him in a matter of a minute.

"Ever since I met you, Hideo, you've carried this sadness on your shoulders. Of course, our friendship was too premature to question you about it so I've been biding my time until it slipped out and here it is," Kaya said, not once straining her eyes or looking away. She spoke so clear and so sure, it was as if she had been preparing for this her while life. "I'll be honest, I don't know what it's like to witness murder, especially that of my own siblings. One thing I could be sure of, would be my grief."

Hideo stared at her, something inside of him awakening. He tried to force it down, but with each word she spoke he felt it well up all the more.

"I've cherished these past few days, you know that? You have spent all day with me and for that... and for that I consider you something I've never had, a best friend. So, it hurts when I see you so damaged to the point where you aren't you. I've yet to meet the real Hideo and, because time will only heal so much, I doubt I will ever meet him. But as your friend, I want to help, to soothe what troubles you, just as you have helped me. I've never had a friend before, so I'll try my hardest to be sure you never have to lose another." She pointed and lifted one of the wires that were attached to her chest, "You've given me another reason to fight, another reason to live."

She looked up, determination apparent in her strong eyes, "I wish to be the same for you, when you're ready. Denial takes you as far as to trick and deceive, but acceptance is what is needed for closure and strength."

Hideo was struck with emotion, he had no time to grieve or even say goodbye. Though he sometimes thought of his siblings as a nuisance, he'd give his life for him any day. He felt hot tears streaking down his face, he didn't even bother to hide them. All he did, was rise from his chair and climbed into Kaya's bed. She took him eagerly in her arms and allowed him to sit next to her.

"How did you get so smart?" Was all Hideo could ask. The words she used and how she used them were beyond perfect. They were inspirational. He had no idea how he was the same to her as she was him. But, he was grateful.

She gave a small chuckle and petted his head, "Teachers come by sometimes, give lessons." she motioned toward a stack of books on the other side that Hideo had always assumed was her father's, "Plus, you get bored."

With that, they both laughed. Soon, they both cried. Not long after that, they both fell asleep in the other's arms.

* * *

"You realize that people will come looking for me."

"And."

"I'm a international celebrity, it's not like you can hide me."

"Wear some glasses, you're fine."

"For a kidnapper, you're really stubborn."

"For some that's kidnapped, you talk too much."

Aya slumped into the back of the chair, her arms folded. She had lost fear of this man long ago. He had taken off his mask and revealed his (handsome) face. He had long, unruly black hair and electric blue eyes. He'd be the type of "bad boy" she'd meet at any photo shoot. He hadn't said where they were going exactly, but she could tell they were in the middle of downtown and the outskirts. The only major place she could think of that was there was the hospital.

"Where are you taking me?"

Yuki huffed, "To hell, want a duffel bag?"

Aya was shocked that he had managed to kidnap her but he didn't do much with it. He hadn't demanded money or power, just to follow him. She figured it was do that or "Dead End".

"I wonder what people are saying about Aya's disappearance."

Yuki laughed, "A bit full of yourself, are we?"

"I can afford to be."

Yuki raised an eyebrow but said nothing in return. He drove silently, ignoring all further questions and statements, eventually Aya gave up and plopped even more into the seat.

He sat there, thinking of what to do with the woman. Minene said she wasn't getting her hands dirty, he was fine with that but he needed some preparation. Plus, maybe she could do some visits to the dying children or Yuno. She was famous, right? Quickly, he pulled out her cellphone and tossed it to her.

"Call your manager or whatever and tell them you're taking a few days off."

Aya's eye's widened, "I'm on tour, I can't do that!"

Yuki rolled his eyes, "Where is the part where I actually care? Do what I say or you find out just how cruel I can be."

Aya sighed, she couldn't fight this man. She'd lose horribly. Before he checked on her, she checked her schedule. No Dead End was in sight, she figured she had to follow his orders to keep her life. Before he got suspicious, she went to her speed dial and clicked a name.

It was answered on the first ring.

"Aya! Where are you?! Do you not remember the concept of a ten minute break?!"

"I'm sorry ,James," _Americans and their names_, she thought to herself, "I started to feel ill. Just give everybody their partial refund. Better yet, reschedule the concert. I just need a couple days to cope..."

"A couple of _days_? Aya, do you understand the repercussions? The costs alone would at least triple what you made on this concert."

"James, you know just as well as I do that I have no lack in funding from the company or my own personal money."

"But Aya-!"

"Thank you, James," Aya said quickly and hung up before James could finish. She'd pay for that later. Literally. It didn't matter much, she was filthy rich, she could spare some "repercussions". She turned off her phone and handed it back to Yuki.

"Good enough?"

"Very. As long as people get their money, you won't find yourself in too much trouble."

Before she could respond, she glanced out the window. She was right, she was at the hospital.

"Why are we here?"

"A number of reasons, but you're about to make new friends," he said, opening the door. He paused for a second, then looked at her, "And I could mouth off to Ninth, she won't hesitate to splatter you on the walls if she has too."

Aya felt herself tense up, but remained silent. As she tried to open the door, she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"Here, take this."

She turned around, "Take wha-"

She stopped midsentence, what she saw had blown her mind. His hand was open and it looked as if a hat, glasses, and a jacket were all being made by invisible fairies. They were literally coming into existence from the palm of his hand. Who was this man?

Once finished, he offered them to her, "Put these on, we don't want anybody to recognize you."

She, then, for the first time, wondered what this "game" was really about.


	12. Chapter 12

"Let's be clear, you keep those clothes on and you keep your mouth shut."

Yuki stopped walking and stood up straight, having a few inches on her it was the first time she actually felt scared. Or at least nervous. Beforehand, she knew he wouldn't do anything but now, now it seemed like a real kidnapping.

She nodded, a first sign that she was actually willing to listen. Yuki lifted a curious eyebrow at her and huffed. Was this guy always annoyed?

"We... I am going to see somebody, and you, you are going to follow me until I say stay."

"Oh, so I'm worth a dog now?" She said before she could bite her tongue.

Yuki chuckled darkly, "Not even. I'd feel bad if I killed a dog."

Aya shivered, his words traveling down her body and chilling her core. Her mouth opened out of shock, but she quickly shut it not wanting to do anything too harsh that would make him want to end her life in a _hospital_. She could've laughed at how ironic that was, but she was the punchline in that joke. Yet, she couldn't help but ask something that she had wondered about.

"Hey, uh, dude," she asked nervously as they walked down the hallways,choosing her words wisely she said, "Why...why am I still here?"

He was quiet, clicking a button to the elevator he hadn't flinched a bit when she asked.

Aya waited, smart enough to realize that his answer was never coming. The door opened, revealing an empty space. She was then pulled forward by him and carefully pushed into elevator. The guy was carefully to not make a scene in public, him pushing a woman would clearly spell trouble. He stepped in right behind her, literally not a foot apart.

"Because every good hunter needs his bait."

* * *

Ryo drove like a madman, one hand on the wheel and the other on his phone hoping for something new to show. His last update said they were going to the Hospital, but, one thing was sure, you couldn't trust rookies' eyes. His phone was a huge asset but also a downfall. He had the Stalking Diary. It worked using his boy's eyes, if one were to see a target it would update Ryo immediately even if the boys didn't know their target. Before the game, Ryo would simply mark in his phone where his victims went but with the game upgrade, it was instant. If Ryo wanted them, he would find them.

He still drove to the last known area, maybe he'd pick up something they missed. He thought to alert his men in the area, but thought better of it since Kaya was in the hospital. She didn't need to see the bloodshed that would occur. This was his solo mission for his little girl's life.

_His_ little girl, not Aya's, not First's, his. Wait a minute...

"You have _got_ to be _KIDDING _me?!" He yelled as he slammed his phone shut. How, how could he have been so stupid? _That's _where First was, he was at the Hospital recovering. Recovering from him. He slammed his fist down on the wheel, earning him a loud honk and a few confused looks. Like he cared. It fell in place, First knew about Kaya, he had too. The purpose of bringing him and Aya would be to kill them all.

First wouldn't touch a single hair on Kaya's head. Or else his own head would be on a stick.

He nearly slammed his foot on the gas, he was going to save his daughter.

* * *

"Yukiteru, what the hell?!" Minene nearly screamed. Her one eye wide and slightly bloodshot as she spoke. Yuki stood there, unfazed. He had expected something like this.

"She's how we take out Second. Then, well, two birds," he huffed. Maintaining his cool, he gave a pleading look towards Yuno then returned to Minene.

"Do you understand the risk though? You're talking about taking out the leader of the _StalKings_ and a world famous superstar at a _PUBLIC HOSPITAL?!" _Her voice level raising slightly, "There will be lives lost!"

"There will be lives lost no matter what route we take," Yuki offered, his eyes hard, "It's easier to win this way."

"You have already lost-!" Minene hushed, looking over at Yuno, "You have a pregnant wife and a young son still here. You are bringing the people who want to end your life here?"

"They don't know where Yuno or Hideo are-"

"So you'll have them tear though the facility?!" Minene accused.

"Minene, I'm trying-"

"She's right, Yuki," Yuno suddenly spoke up, a real hard look on her face but her eyes somewhat sad. "But there is nothing we can do now," she finally concluded.

The room's silence was more than tense, as each person slowly looked at the other. Only Yuno stayed still in her bed, her gaze still strong.

"It's them or us," Yuki finally said, the words hanging in the air, "We all know how this game work." He looked over at Minene, his face stonic and emotionless, "How many buildings did you destroy? How many people did you kill?"

Minene bit her lip, "I was a different then, Yukiteru, you know this."

"And I'm different now!" He shot back, quicker than expected.

"You didn't change, you lost your heart."

Yuki felt his teeth clench and his vision suddenly enhanced, but everything just seemed to float there, "You try being in 10,000 years of darkness. _Alone_."

Her face dropped and she moved forward, placing a soft hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, Yukiteru, I am. What's done is done and I shall stand behind you."

Yuki nodded and offered her a smile, his eyes as bright as they used to be in youth.

"Your family is my family."

* * *

"Scissors, I win!" Kaya giggled out.

Hideo wore a face that was in a slight frown, his one hand flat while the other supported. "Yeah, well, I let you win."

"Haha, no you didn't!" She playfully argued back.

Hideo stubbornly stuck his tongue out, which gave Kaya even more of a reason to giggle. Hideo couldn't help but to laugh along with her.

"You look nice whenever you laugh," Hideo said, overcoming his little laugh.

"Well, you make me laugh a lot."

"You look nice no matter what."

Kaya looked up at him with a small smile, "Thanks, you're pretty cute yourself."

Now Hideo was the one to look down, his face burning and his hair covering his eyes. He felt a cool touch on his hand, knowing exactly what it was but in full disbelief. He then felt another hand on his chin, and felt it gently tilt his head up.

"Aw, you're blushing."

Hideo could see specks between the hairs that covered his eyes. HE couldn't tell exactly but... but was Kaya blushing too?

"You can look up, Hideo."

Unsure of what exactly to do, he tried to look down again, only to be more tucked into her hand. He felt himself warm at her touch, his thoughts couldn't process, and his heart beat with a purpose. Her hand seemed to be getting colder and colder, was he really getting this _hot?_

"Look at me."

It wasn't commanding, it was... somewhat pleading. Hideo looked up a little, his hair still slightly covering his eyes. Through the black mess, he could see her. She was red, just... just as he thought.

"You're blushing too?" Hideo asked quietly. He raised his head a little more, Kaya dropped her hand.

"Well, you make it hard not to." She said, feigning slight annoyance.

"Me?"

"Yes, you!" Kaya replied a little louder than her usual tone. "You, you just make me feel weird."

"I'm sorry?"

She gave him a small shove, "No, no! It's... It's a good feeling, Hideo. You make me happy."

"You make me happy too," Hideo said, moving his hair out of his face so he could fully look into her eyes.

Kaya took her hands back and started to fumble with them, Hideo reached out grabbing them in his. He wanted to touch them, their cool touch and her soft skin, it made him feel... good-weird.

"Kaya-"

"Hideo, when your mom gets better, will you still visit me?"

That question kind of took him back, "Of course, why wouldn't I?"

"Well, my dad doesn't come anymore. If he doesn't, why would you?"

Hideo felt something burst inside of him. It wasn't good. It wasn't good-weird. It was a flash of an emotion he knew far too much of. Anger.

"Your dad is a guy, I'd _really_ like to give a piece of my mind of..."

"Hideo, your eyes... they're glowing or somethin'..."

Quickly, he shut his eyes and took a breath. He couldn't, he couldn't lose it in front of Kaya. He felt a small pain in his hand, he didn't realize he clenched his fist _that_ tight. Unclenching it, he could really feel the pain in his hand. Well, pain overpowered anger, it wasn't so bad then. He opened his eyes.

"Uh, sorry, they seem fine now."

"Hey, Kaya, I'm gonna go... check on my mom. My aunt told me to drop by every once in awhile, you know?"

Hideo got up before Kaya could respond, he backed away, not meeting her eyes. Her mouth hung open, attempting to say something but before a voice was given, he left.

"Hideo...?"

* * *

Aya watched the hall, waiting for the guy to come back. Now was the time to do something, escape seemed to be the most obvious. She turned her head, making sure to not be caught. As she looked behind her, she crashed into something.

She turned her head back around to see a young boy stepping back, his head down, "Sorry, little guy, didn't see you there."

He half looked up, she could see a slight glow emitting from his pink eyes. "Sorry." His voice was somewhat rugged and he had a bit of an emotional crack. Before she could ask what was wrong, he walked away.

She turned her head to watch him walk away, she felt a need to talk to him. She still kept her motherly attitude, even though she hadn't seen her daughter in... She didn't want to think about it. She looked back down the hall she was facing, with only one door open, she figured that was where the boy had come from. She'd help this kid out at the root of his worries.

She smiled, "Might as well do something nice before I die."

* * *

"Minene, you're on the roof?"

"Yes, Yukiteru."

"You have your binoculars?"

"Right in front of me."

"You have ammo for your gun?"

"Sure do."

"How about-"

"He's not here yet! I'll let you know the second I see him okay?"

"...You do remember what he looks like, right?"

Minene's face turned grim over the phone, "I can clearly remember the guy that took the lives of my niece and nephew," she said, a tinge of anger apparent, "and let me tell you, my 'no-killing' rule? He's the damn exception."

* * *

Kaya was left with some tears running down her face, using the blanket, she wiped them. Now she was left alone-

**Knock, knock.**

Looking up, she saw a woman. She wore a glasses and a scarf, but her red hair still shone with a particular princess shine.

"Excuse me," the woman began. Kaya's thoughts immediately set themselves straight, this woman was probably lost. As a lot of people tended to be in the hospital.

"Yes?" Kaya said, as nice as she could for her current emotional status.

"Do you... know that little boy that just walked out?"

_Hideo?_

"Um, yes ma'am."

"Is he your brother or...?"

"He's a friend," Kaya said quickly, "He's a friend." She said again, calming herself.

Aya looked fully at the girl, and something in her... leapt. This little girl just looked so beautiful. Her black hair was that of raven feathers, the type that could sail so calmly in the roughest of winds. Her eyes were somewhat puffy and red, but she could see their color. She saw that color every time she looked into a mirror.

For some reason, it hurt to see her with those eyes. Her eyes.

"What's your name, sweetie?"

She hadn't meant to say that, but it seemed the mother side of her was now ripping her apart.

The girl opened her mouth but quickly shut it. She opened it again, "My dad told me not to talk to strangers."

This made Aya smile, "Your dad is a very smart man because that is some advice you should always remember."

Kaya watched the lady walk closer and take a seat on the chair next to her. "That little friend of yours seemed mighty upset just now and so do you. Would you... like to talk about it?"

Kaya looked down, "Is it obvious?"

"That you were upset? Puffy eyes don't help that cause, honey."

Kaya looked up, studying the woman, "You're pretty observant. I swear, you look really familiar. Well, I mean, your hair does."

_It's worldwide known. _

"Oh, well, I do some modeling."

_Some, hah. _

Kaya nodded, "I do think I've seen it in a magazine."

"Well, I wanted to talk to you. Like I said, your friend seemed mad and you are sad. Just wanted to know if you wanted any help."

Kaya sighed, "It's somewhat of a long story, but he's just mad at my dad."

The woman bit her lip, "I'm sorry but you seem to just mention your dad. Do you... have a mom?"

Kaya should have been offended, she should have called the nurses to get this stranger out, but she felt nothing bad against this woman. She remembered this woman, she just didn't know _how. _

"My mom isn't here with us anymore."

Aya felt her heart tear in two as those eyes looked at her. Those innocent eyes. This girl's mother was somewhere in the world and her dad clearly wasn't here now. This girl, this poor, poor girl.

"My name is Kaya, by the way, what's yours?"

_Kaya? No, no this is too many coincidences. No. NO._

With her mind on the fritz, she had a tough time trying to find the words to speak. Or even speaking at all.

"Ma'am? Are you okay?"

Aya stared at the girl in front of her. She was sure. The beautiful girl in front of her, was none other than her daughter.

"Sorry... I'm fine, sweetie."

* * *

Yuki's phone buzzed on the desk next to him. His sleepy eyes opened as his mind and body tried to start. Realization hit him and with a swift grab, he had it in his hand in less than a second. He flipped the phone open, his nerve almost flicked it completely off.

"Hello?" He asked into the receiver. He knew who it was and he suddenly had all the energy in the world.

"He's here, Yukiteru."

Yuki closed the phone, shoving it back into his pocket. His blue eyes twitched to life and he held a smirk. Yuno was sleeping and Hideo sat next to her, sleeping as well. He stood and walked out to the door, closing it behind him. With just a thought, he felt the door lock behind him.

"Second, meet First."

* * *

Ryo nearly ran to the hospital, he reached into the lining of his pants and felt the gun burn on his touch. He knew for a fact that lives would be lost today. He had no trouble with killing, but still his heart was sinking at who was in this building. If things went his way, he and Fifth would be the only players left in the game by the end of tonight. But still, one thought hovered above all else.

"Kaya, please be safe."


End file.
